Big Rigs Watch the Road

Heavy truck manufacturer Freightliner Corp. of Portland, Ore., has developed an image-recognition system that warns drivers of unintended lane changes. The Lane Guidance system joins the company's family of safety devices, including the Eaton Vorad EVT-300 collision warning system, which detects objects ahead and to the side of the vehicle.

Lane Guidance, which will be available in the second quarter of 2000, monitors the cab's position with a digital camera and image-recognition software developed by Freightliner's parent company, DaimlerChrysler. An audible stereo warning like the sound of a "rumble strip" alerts the driver if his or her truck has moved close to the lane markers without signaling a turn.