Two new safety technologies help drivers

Two new safety technologies may help drivers steer clear of potential lane-change collisions. Using a camera located between the inside rearview mirror and the windshield, the lane departure system alerts drivers when they inadvertently stray from their designated traffic lane. Using radar sensors behind the rear fascia, the side blind zone system helps drivers avoid crashing into vehicles that they would not have sensed otherwise. Both new technologies will be available on 2008 Buick Lucerne sedan models beginning in the summer of 2007. An estimated 200,000 car crashes annually are the result of automobiles mistakenly switching lanes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.