Active safety features are becoming increasingly smart and evermore popular in all types of vehicles these days. However, no full-size truck has offered things like Forward Collision Alert or Lane Departure Warning – that is, until now.
The new-for-2014 GMC Sierra will be the first truck to offer active safety technologies like Forward Collision Alert. And GMC is taking a different approach in communicating with the driver as well, with the optional Safety Alert Seat.
The new driver’s seat will vibrate on the corresponding seat bottom to alert the driver of an unintentional lane change or vibrate on both sides for obstacles in the truck’s path.
“It’s akin to someone tapping on your shoulder in a crowd to get your attention,” said General Motors Active Safety Technical Fellow Raymond Kiefer. “Using the tactile sense to communicate crash threat direction provides an effective and intuitive way to cut through the clutter of visual and auditory sensory information that drivers routinely experience.”
We’re anxious to experience GMC’s new Safety Alert Seat for ourselves and see how seamlessly a physical alert can be perceived and acted upon while driving. The new Sierra goes on sale this summer, so the wait won’t be long. Perhaps bad vibes are a good thing when they can prevent collisions.
