Pre-sense front deployment

[Mdritchie]

I was just reading the thread about front radar sensors and was reminded of my Pre-sense Front saving my bacon last summer. Anyone else had a full on deployment help them avoid a collision?

Mine was pulling back in behind a caravan after overtaking a line of traffic. I was anticipating slowing back down to 50ish mph as I dropped back in. Turned out the caravan brake lights weren't working and it was actually slowing to a stop to allow oncoming traffic through a bridge (totally unnecessary btw). I was braking but not hard enough - Red triangle, lots of noise and full emergency braking with hazard lights from the car. If I had been solely in charge I would have realised to late and had collision. Just glad I specified it!

Not a nice experience! I drove very slowly for the rest of that journey, majorly shaken up. Thankfully the closest I've ever come to having a car accident. Anyone found it useful?

 

[andywil13]

The closest I've had is an audio warning the same time that I've jammed the brakes on myself, so not helped me avoid anything, the system realising the changing situation the same time as myself.
Very hard to demo to anyone though, almost like it can tell you're testing it lol

 

[WeeDram]

Twice I've had it brake unnecessarily. Once when I was overtaking a cyclist and the car was angled toward someone pushing a shopping cart on the other side of the road; and yesterday when I was overtaking a large truck (lorry). The truck was in the inner lane and I was in the centre lane. When I reached the rear of the trailer, pre-sense decided to brake for no reason. Very annoying for me and the guy behind me!

 

[Mdritchie]

I've had it give the brakes a wee jolt when passing a right turning vehicle in the central reservation on dual carriageways a couple of times. I'm willing to forgive it that though. An occasional false positive in a safety system is preferable than it not working when it really needs to.

 

[RYuill]

I had this today. Not full on but the red triangle appears and it applied the brakes just as I stomped on the pedal at the same time.

Do you think if you were to do nothing, it would stop you in time?

 

[glospete]

I had this today. Not full on but the red triangle appears and it applied the brakes just as I stomped on the pedal at the same time.

Do you think if you were to do nothing, it would stop you in time?

AFAIK it depends on the speed you're doing. If 18mph or less the emergency braking system will brake you to a halt even if you do nothing. But at greater speeds than that you get the red triangle and the jolt and then when you press the brake pedal it will increase pressure sufficiently to safely brake. But you have to initiate it first. It is not a totally autonomous high speed braking system!

 

[leosayer1]

I've found pre-sense more of a nuisance than a help so far but I'm still glad it's fitted because you never know when you might need it.