What many of us don’t know is that American automaker Ford has a team of engineers working to determine which warnings help drivers best react to possible dangers and work together with other sounds in the vehicle. This is how the 2012 Ford Focus came to have just the right tones, chimes and lights to warn drivers in a range of situations.
Ford relies on music theory, mathematical analysis and psycho-acoustic (the study of sound perception) to achieve the highest results in terms of pleasantness, loudness and sharpness.
Finding the right universal sound that works for all drivers is a challenging objective. For example, Ford tested 24 sound options for its new global turn signal for Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
Ford considers a wide array of sounds such as a golf ball rattling into a cup, nature noises from birds and crickets, and youthful club sounds such as record scratching – many of which don’t make the final cut. You can hear them by following this link.
Sight and sound alerts are incorporated into many of Ford’s innovative safety features, including the ones present in the all-new Focus, such as:
- BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert: Identifies when a vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding sideview mirror, providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching. An audible alert is sounded as well.
- Collision warning with brake support: Using long-range radar hidden in the front of the vehicle, collision warning detects moving vehicles ahead and alerts the driver of a collision risk with an alarm and warning light.
- MyKey: The audio controls are important to maintaining a volume level that ensures drivers can hear outside warnings, such as emergency response vehicles and traffic hazard signals. It also encourages seat belt use, provides earlier low-fuel warnings and can be programmed to sound chimes at 45, 55 or 65 mph.
- Belt-Minder: A seat belt reminder technology for the front occupants that takes over after the initial seat belt reminder stops chiming. If the occupants remain unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp periodically for five minutes, or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first.
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