Living in a bustling city like New York or Los Angeles has its advantages, but notorious traffic congestion is a common issue for all major urban areas in the U.S. A study published by LAWeekly in 2015 indicated that Los Angeles had six of the most challenging freeways for commuters in the country, and recent trends suggest that this situation has worsened over the years. Picture passing a 75-mph speed limit sign on the 405 while barely moving at 10 mph. For commuters, frustrating stop-and-go traffic can feel unbearable, but Nissan may have a solution, known as ProPILOT.
Nissan ProPILOT Assist is set to launch in the United States, as announced by Nissan USA on Friday. The automaker reports that this semi-autonomous driving assistance system has been rigorously tested, with over 50,000 miles dedicated to refining its functionality to ensure drivers can rely on it. However, Nissan clarifies that ProPILOT is not a fully self-driving system; drivers must keep their hands on the wheel at all times, similar to Tesla’s AutoPilot feature.
Nissan acknowledges that ProPILOT isn’t particularly groundbreaking technology but rather a smart integration of existing assistance systems that enhance driver safety and keep them centered on the road. Essentially, it combines Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and other semi-autonomous features. These systems collaboratively assist drivers in maintaining speed, braking, and even steering—depending on the visibility of lane markings—all without the driver needing to engage physically.
The company aims for ProPILOT to simplify driving in heavy city and highway traffic, making the daily commute less tiring. The 2018 Nissan LEAF will be the first model to feature ProPILOT as standard equipment, with additional Nissan and Infiniti models slated to include it shortly thereafter.
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