DS Night Vision, a great aid for night driving

Driving at night is usually quite pleasant for several reasons. For example, there are far fewer vehicles on the road, which helps make driving more relaxed. But it is a poor time to drive, as tiredness increases and it is easier to lose concentration at the wheel. Visibility is also much reduced, so it is important to have the headlights in good condition. But if we add an extra safety feature such as a night vision system, safety is increased.

In DS models you can find the DS Night Vision system, which provides a clear image of any obstacle that appears in front of the vehicle in low-visibility conditions. This allows the driver to be aware of the presence of an obstacle, whether a pedestrian or an animal, and offers different types of alert when such a presence is detected.

Infrared camera

The DS Night Vision system camera is hidden in the grille and captures everything happening in front of the vehicle. These images are processed by an Artificial Intelligence, which identifies the objects appearing in the images. It also interprets the movements of pedestrians or animals, even if they are off the road, and transmits the images to the central screen, with infrared processing that helps identify the obstacle.

The range of this camera is 100 metres, so the image of the obstacle can be seen on screen before it becomes visible under the car’s lights, helping to anticipate any danger or manoeuvre to be carried out. When it detects a pedestrian or animal, the system knows whether it is a person standing still, moving across the road, or moving off it.

Depending on its interpretation, several visual alarms are activated. Among them, the screen shows that braking is required through the appearance of a brake icon, and the headlights dim. As the level of danger increases, further indications and warnings are added through alert sounds.

The DS Night Vision system allows the driver to react first, although if the danger is close and no action is taken, it activates the emergency braking system, avoiding the impact. This operates at speeds between 5 and 85 km/h. DS Night Vision will be fitted to the DS 9, the DS 7 Crossback and the DS 4, so these models will offer much greater safety on night journeys.