Anchor: MAN BY THE MACHINE.
HANDS FREE DRIVING IS HERE.
CAN IT REALLY TAKE THE STRESS
OUT OF YOUR COMMUTE?
MY HANDS ARE FREE, FEET OFF
THE PEDALS.
AND I SCARED, YOU KNOW WHAT.
Anchor: BUCKLE IN FOR A
FRONT SEAT RIDE TO THE FUTURE.
WELL, BY MOST ESTIMATES WITHIN
FOUR YEARS WE WILL SEE THE FIRST
SELF DRIVING VEHICLE TAKING THE
ROAD.
Anchor: NOW THIS YEAR MANY
MORE VEHICLES WITH SEMI
AUTONOMOUS FEATURES GIVE US MORE
RELAXED AND LESS FATIGUE INRIDE
AND WE WOULD PRESUME SAFER.
LET'S HOPE SO.
GUY GORDON IS OUR CAR GUY, PUT
MERCEDES NEW DRIVER ASSIST
FEATURE TO TEST UNDER DEMANDING
CONDITIONS.
LOS ANGELES RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC.
TAKE A LOOK.
Reporter: TODAY'S NEW
TECHNOLOGY PROMISES TO LOWER
YOUR BOILING POINT BY TURNING
STOP AND GO STRESS OVER TO YOUR
CAR'S ON BOARD BRAIN.
MERCEDES DISTRONIC PLUS SYSTEM
USING STEREO SCOPIC SENSORS TO
READ SURROUNDING VEHICLES, AND
LINES ON THE ROADWAY AND JUDGING
DISTANCE.
LIE DAR, LASER AND RADAR SENSORS
GIVES US 360 DEGREES OF VISION.
UP TO 125 MILES AN HOUR.
IT WILL KEEP YOU A SAFE DISTANCE
FROM THE CAR AHEAD.
AND CENTER YOUR VEHICLE IN THE
LANE AUTOMATICALLY.
WE TOOK THIS DISTRONIC EQUIPPED
S CLASS ON 110 AT 5:00 P.M. IN
THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN L.A.
IN THE CITY OF ANGELS, THIS CAN
TURN A SAINT INTO A DEVIL.
NOW BEFORE I TOOK THE WHEEL WE
WERE ALREADY CUTOFF BY A CAR, IN
ON BOARD SAFETY SYSTEM
INTERVENED.
THERE IS THE I HADYOIATE YOU
ARE PROTECT YOU DID YOURSELF
FROM.
CAR TAKES CARE OF IT.
THAT WAS A CONFIDENCE BUILDER
FOR ME.
MECHANICAL EYES AND BRAIN HAD
EVOLVED BEYOND MY CAPABILITIES.
AS WE MERGE ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY
I ACTIVATED THE SYSTEM WITH A
PULL OF A LEVER.
WHEN CAR'S VISION SYSTEM LOCKED
IN ON ROAD'S LINES IT TELLS ME
IT IS ENGAGED.
MY HANDS ARE FREE AND FEET
OFF THE PEDALS AND I AM SCARED
YOU KNOW WHAT.
THIS IS STILL A DRIVER ASSIST
FEATURE.
YOU MUST REMAIN ALERT AT ALL
TIMES.
AND WITHOUT THE NEED TO STEER
THOUGH I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO
WITH MY HANDS.
PERPETUAL FUMBLE DRILL.
SLOWLY BRING THEM DOWN AND
BACK UP AGAIN.
YEAH.
IT IS REALLY DISCONCERTING.
CAR KEPT ME CENTERED MAKE
INSMOOTH AND COMFORTABLE
CORRECTIONS EVEN AROUND GENTLE
CURVES.
AS I WITNESSED THE PERFORMANCE I
STAYED VIGILANT BUT PHYSICALLY
RELAXED.
I AM NOT PRAYING I AM READY.
NOW 20 MILES AN HOUR AND
BELOW ON THE FREEWAY CAR WILL
ALLOW YOU TO RELINQUISH CONTROL.
WHEN YOU GO ABOVE 20 MILES AN
HOUR, WE DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO
TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE WHEEL
FOR MORE THAN ABOUT 10 SECONDS.
OUR LAWS REGULATIONS AND THE
INSURANCE INDUSTRY STILL NOT
QUITE READY FOR THAT YET.
WHY IS IT CROSSING --
HERE WE LOST THE LINES.
BIGGEST OP STAKELIS LOSS OF
THE AUTO'S VISION, FOUL WEATHER,
MUD, SNOW, OR FADED PAINT ON
NEGATIVE FREEWAY.
I HAD TO RESUME CONTROL.
I DIDN'T HEAR A WARNING WHEN
IT LOST THE LINE.
I AM REALLY IMPRESSED BUT IT
CLEARLY IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE
ROAD YOU ARE ON.
STILL IT HINTS AT A EXCITING
FUTURE.
BRANDON HAS LOGGED 1000 MILES OF
HANDS FREE DRIVING.
AND TOOK A FAMILY TRIP FROM
JERSEY CITY TO PHILADELPHIA ON A
CROWDED EXPRESS WAY AND DID NOT
TOUCH THE WHEEL FOR 45 MILES
ACCIDENT FREE THANKS TO
DISTRONIC.
I HAVE BEEN IN A COUPLE OF
SITUATIONS WHERE MY FAMILY WAS
IN THE VEHICLE.
THE SITUATION OCCURS, WHERE
EITHER THE VEHICLE TAKES OVER OR
I NEED TO MAKE AN EVASIVE
MANEUVER.
FIRST THING MY WIFE SAID IF WE
WERE NOT IN A MERCEDES WOULD WE
HAVE BEEN IN A ACCIDENT?
THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY.
Anchor: WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Anchor: ARE YOU READY?
I LOVED WHEN HE SAID YOU DO NOT
KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR HANDS.
Anchor: HOW MANY PEOPLE
WILL BLAME IT ON THE CAR.
MY CAR WOULD NOT LET ME DO IT.
Anchor: NO DOUBT.
Anchor: WELL, TODAY WE
LEARNED THAT NTSA AND AUTO
MAKERS WILL MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS
THIS MONTH REGARDING SAFETY
INITIATIVES.
Anchor: IF YOU ENJOYED THAT
WE WANT TO REMIND YOU TO JOIN US
TOMORROW NIGHT FOR PRIME TIME
REPORT.
DATELINE DETROIT.
ALL ABOUT AUTOS.
MORE ON DRIVING OF THE FUTURE.
AND, OF COURSE, WE WILL SET YOU