Here’s How the Honda Sensing Safety Feature in Honda Cars Work

Almost every new car on the market today comes standard with many safety and driver-assist features. If you currently own or plan to buy a new or slightly used Honda, you have probably heard the term “Honda Sensing.” 

But what is Honda Sensing, and how does it work?

About the Honda Sensing?

According to Honda, Honda Sensing is an “exclusive intelligent suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies designed to alert of things you might miss while driving.” The system comprises a few different cameras and sensors to keep your car within the lanes, the speed you set it at, and prevent it from running into other objects or pedestrians.

However, many different features make up the whole suite, which could confuse some Honda owners and prospective buyers. As such, here is an explanation of each feature on every new Honda equipped with the Honda Sensing suite.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow

Adaptive cruise control is like normal cruise control because it allows the driver to set the desired speed for their commute. The “adaptive” part of the feature means that the driver can set the distance between their car and the car in front of them. By doing this, the system will maintain a safe following distance relative to the speed at which the car in front travels.

“Low-Speed Follow” applies when the traffic ahead slows to a crawl. In stop-and-go traffic, the low-speed follow system will apply the brake and accelerate the car automatically so that the driver no longer needs to do the “traffic dance” (stop and go) during heavy drives.

Road Departure Mitigation

The Road Departure Mitigation feature recognizes if your car is about to leave the road. The system uses a camera to identify the road’s lane markers and warn the driver if the car is travelling outside of them. When that happens, the system will apply steering and brake force, if necessary, to keep the car in line.

Collision Mitigation Braking System

The Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) scans the road ahead while you drive and will alert the driver audibly and visibly if it determines that there could be a potential crash. If needed, the system will apply some brake pressure for assistance with stopping.  

Forward Collision Warning

This system gives the driver an audible and visual warning when it detects any obstacles ahead that the car can crash into.

Traffic Sign Recognition

Using a camera in the windshield area, the Honda Sensing suite will detect the speed limit on the road you’re travelling on. This feature is especially handy when driving on a road where the posted speed limit is not so obvious.

Cross Traffic Monitoring

When you put the car into reverse, the Honda Sensing system will detect whether a car or pedestrian is approaching on either side of the car. If anything does approach, the system will audibly and visually warn the driver on the touchscreen display. This feature is available on select Honda models only.

Issue With the Honda Sensing Suite

While all of the features in the Honda Sensing suite are implemented to assist drivers in their everyday commutes, they are not a substitute for actual driving. Also, certain features in the Honda Sensing suite may not function properly during heavy rainfall. Check your car’s owner’s manual for more details.