Stellantis to Implement Hazard Alerts to Improve Vehicle Safety
The world is becoming friendlier for people with disabilities, but companies are constantly looking for ways to make their products more accessible for everyone. Stellantis recently issued a software update that makes its vehicles alert passengers to nearby emergency vehicles, making driving safer for hearing-impaired vehicle owners.
A Stellantis employee recommended the change after they had a near-miss with an emergency vehicle they couldn’t hear. The change comes via an over-the-air update and uses vehicle-to-everything (V2E) capability to locate first responders in traffic. Company leaders felt it was such an essential update that they pushed it out in 2023 instead of waiting to implement the feature in 2024. Alerts show up on the infotainment display and can use the vehicle’s exterior lighting to help alert other drivers to the hazard.
Stellantis encourages innovation and ideas through its Star*Up program, which lets employees compete with ideas for new products and features. The employee behind the safety alert system participated in the program, ultimately leading Stellantis to implement the HAAS Alert system in its vehicles.
The alerts respond to lights and sirens, so it doesn’t recognize stopped emergency vehicles on the roadside. It will eventually alert to a disabled vehicle on the side of the road, and HAAS is working on alerts for construction and work zones.
[Image: Stellantis]
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Add audible commands, like, "Stop tailgating, you moron!", and, "Slow down - you're gonna kill us all!" I was going to suggest using the voices of Tom and Ray Magliozzi, but sadly, only Ray is still with us (RIP, Tom).
"A Stellantis employee recommended the change after they had a near-miss with an emergency vehicle they couldn’t hear."
I was at a traffic light and the car next to me had the stereo cranked. My whole truck was vibrating. A firetruck was approaching lights and sirens. They should have seen it since it was approaching from their side. Light changed and they went. It was almost a full on broad-side.
People are stupid. A green light at an intersection does not mean it is safe to go. You still have to look especially at a "fresh" green. Idiots run the light, an emergency vehicle is coming, or it's icy and vehicles can't stop.
Cool.
More stuff to break god I love having a nanny in my truck... find a good tuner and you can remove most of the stupid stuff they add like this and auto park when the doors open stupid stuff like that