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Vauxhall launches speed limit detectors on Insignia (2008)

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 June 2008 07:53 Vauxhall's new Insignia will be the first of a wave of cars to have a forward-facing camera that can read road signs. The optional kit will detect speed limit and no overtaking signs – and flash up a reminder to the driver on the dashboard.GM calls the tech, which will be launched in early 2009, Traffic Sign Recognition and it uses a small, wide-angled camera system supplied by Hella. It sits at the top of the windscreen near the rain sensors and rear-view mirror, scanning the road ahead taking 30 photos per second.It's 1984 all over again...With a range of 100 metres, the camera focuses on circular patterns and then interprets the numbers inside by contour comparison; if a match is found on the software's database, that road sign will be flashed up in the driver's binnacle.The front-facing camera is also used as a lane departure warning system, alerting the driver if they unintentionally swerve out of their lane on a motorway.Cars with cameras: a growing trendMore and more manufacturers are fitting cameras to their cars nowadays and you can expect a flood of systems like the Insignia's to be launched in 2009, including the new BMW 5-series.CAR tried out these new systems on Bosch prototypes in 2007.

Save £800 a year on fuel

DRIVERS in the UK could save more than £800 per year on their fuel bills by following some simple tips. A survey by Ford shows that many drivers don’t carry out simple checks that waste fuel. In the survey, it was found that 76% of drivers in the UK do not check their car’s tyre pressures regularly, which has a major impact on fuel consumption as underinflated tyres cause excess strain on the engine.

Call for Entries: Nissan Design Europe 'East meets West' exhibition

Nissan Design Europe has announced that it will be participating to the 2009 London Design Festival, but the Japanese automaker will not be showing a new vehicle. From September 23rd to the 25th, Nissan Design Europe will open its doors and become a creative hub hosting arts and design displays and seminars as well as leading a series of tours of the facility. Under the theme of 'East meets West: the cultural crossroads of creativity', the exhibition aims to celebrate the cross-pollination of creative industries in London, and the Japanese automaker will open some areas of its Paddington-based design studio for installations from other artists and designers.