Infiniti tries to keep you in your lane

0 Comments | USA TODAY, March, 2004 | by David Kiley

Nissan's Infiniti luxury division this year will be first to sell cars in the USA with lane-departure warning systems, technology that could dramatically cut down on one of the leading causes of highway traffic accidents.

The device, which warns a driver if it senses a vehicle unintentionally leaving a lane, is part of a growing family of technology aimed at helping drivers avoid crashes.

The system, developed by California-based Iteris, uses a tiny camera on the inside rearview mirror that tracks the lines on both sides of the road to determine if a car is drifting out of its lane. Audio and visual alerts are set off if the turn signal isn't being used.

The 2005 Infiniti FX45 sport-utility vehicle, on sale later this year, will offer the system, as will the...