Subaru EyeSight Outperforms Rivals

SYDNEY – Sept 30, 2013: Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system has rated highly in a new Front Crash Prevention (FCP) test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States.

The Subaru Legacy sedan (Liberty in Australia) and Outback were the only vehicles to receive the highest possible score of six points.

Legacy and Outback were also two of just seven models from 74 tested to receive a “Superior” rating.

The FCP program was created as a result of research by the Highway Loss Data Institute indicating that forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, such as EyeSight, are helping drivers avoid frontal crashes.

The Institute rated models with optional or standard front crash prevention systems as superior, advanced or basic, depending on whether they offer autonomous braking, or autobrake, and, if so, how effective it is in tests at 19 km/h and 40 km/h.

Superior rating is given to vehicles that have an autobraking system, such as EyeSight, and can avoid a crash or substantially reduce speeds in both tests.

Advanced rating applies to vehicles with autobrake that can avoid a crash or reduce speeds by at least 8 km/h in one of two tests.

Basic rating is for vehicles with a forward collision warning system that meets U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performance criteria.

“We want to help get the most effective systems in as many vehicles as soon as possible. That means a speed mitigation system like Subaru's EyeSight that can prevent crashes at low and moderate speeds,” said David Zuby, IIHS Chief Research Officer.

“Our buyers trust us to provide safety in their vehicles,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc.

“With all of our 2013 models listed as IIHS Top Safety Picks and now the 2014 Model Year Legacy and Outback models tested, this is further proof that we deliver on that trust.”

EyeSight is available on Liberty, Outback and Forester variants in Australia and is one of the most affordable technologies of its kind available.

EyeSight uses two charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras developed by Subaru and is mounted inside the car on the upper edge of the windscreen, reducing the potential for damage that could occur in bumper-mounted systems, such as radar.

EyeSight processes stereo images to identify the vehicles travelling in front, as well as obstacles, traffic lanes and other items. The video information is relayed to the EyeSight computer, which is also networked with the car's braking system and electronic throttle control. Below speeds of approximately 30 km/h, EyeSight is capable of detecting pedestrians in the vehicle's path and can activate to mitigate or even avoid collision. Under certain circumstances, EyeSight is able to bring the car to a complete stop, thus avoiding a collision.