Honda to Demonstrate Advanced Safety Technology in New York

Technology Builds on Honda’s Research into Inter-Vehicle Communications

Honda (http://www.honda.com) engineers will demonstrate an advanced vehicle-to-vehicle communications system that helps vehicles avoid collisions with one another as part of Honda’s participation in the 15th annual World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems. This will be done by showing a working prototype system on a public road in front of the Jacob Javits Center on Nov. 17-20, 2008.

Intelligent Transportation Systems are aimed at improving transportation through better safety and mobility as well as enhancing productivity through the use of a broad range of advanced information and communications technologies.

Honda’s participation in the ITS World Congress is based on the company’s focus on the research and development of advanced safety systems and the application of new information technologies to automobiles. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication demonstration, using an Acura RL sedan, is designed to showcase the potential for inter-vehicle communications as a means to reduce vehicle collisions at intersections, which today account for approximately 17 percent of fatal traffic collisions in the U.S. The demonstration will be held at two intersections along 11th Avenue, at 36th and 37th streets, directly in front of the Jacob Javits Center.

Through the use of autonomous sensors and vehicle-to-vehicle radio communication, the goal of the Honda system is to warn drivers of potential dangers at intersections in situations where the driver’s view of the oncoming vehicle is obstructed by buildings, trees, fences or large trucks. In the event of an impending collision, the system can provide audio, visual and tactile alerts to the driver.

A key enabler of the system is the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DRSC) system, which allows for inter-vehicle communications at a frequency of 5.9 gigahertz (GHz). The DSRC system allows each vehicle to broadcast a "heartbeat" signal that includes key information such as speed, acceleration and brake status, which can be detected and interpreted by other vehicles in close proximity. Designed primarily as a line-of-sight communications technology, Honda has been working to advance the capabilities of the DSRC system and allow for inter-vehicle communication even in the presence of obstacles to line-of-sight communication, such as large trucks and buildings.

The Acura RL being used in the demonstration is already a technology leader with available Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS™), Active Cruise Control, Active Front Lighting System, and AcuraLink® weather and Traffic Rerouting™.

The vehicle-to-vehicle demonstration will be orchestrated by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., which represents Honda in ITS-related industry-government research programs in the U.S., including the Crash Avoidance Metric Partnership (CAMP), the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiative, and the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) program.

Honda Exhibit at ITS World Congress

Honda’s exhibit inside the Jacob Javits Center will include a 2009 Acura RL featuring CMBS® and the AcuraLink® vehicle navigation and information system, and a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, the world’s first production motorcycle equipped with an airbag. Further, a number of displays and technologies Honda offers exclusively in Japan will be exhibited, including car to car, car to motorcycle and intersection collision avoidance technologies, the Honda Monpal electric scooter designed for senior citizens with physical limitations, and the company’s highly advanced Internavi navigation system which provides route guidance in Japan, including informing the driver of the most fuel efficient route currently available.

Honda’s ’Safety for Everyone’ Approach to Safety

American Honda’s "Safety for Everyone" approach is a comprehensive commitment to vehicle safety that seeks to provide high levels of occupant protection for all Honda and Acura vehicles, regardless of size or price, enhanced compatibility with other vehicles, and improved injury mitigation for pedestrians. As part of this approach, Honda has applied a core suite of advanced safety technologies as standard equipment on virtually all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. since it announced its "Safety for Everyone" initiative in 2003. These include driver and passenger front and side airbags, side curtain airbags for all rows, and anti-lock brakes (ABS); and Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with rollover sensor for all light trucks.

Honda also leads the industry in addressing the issue of compatibility between large and smaller vehicles in a collision with its Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE) body structure, already applied to the 15 of 19 new Honda and Acura models and being applied to the all-new 2009 Honda Fit, which was launched this fall.

Honda has also led in development and application of advanced pedestrian injury mitigation features. More than 8 million Honda and Acura vehicles already on the road in the U.S. today are equipped with features such as collapsible hood hinges and breakaway windshield wiper pivots, designed to reduce severe head injuries that are responsible for 60 percent of pedestrian fatalities. In advancing its designs, Honda first sought to better understand the dynamics of pedestrian collisions with the development of POLAR II, widely recognized as the world’s most advanced pedestrian safety dummy. Tests conducted with POLAR II led to the development of these and other design features being incorporated into all new Honda and Acura automobiles.

Honda also operates two of the world’s most sophisticated crash test laboratories for development improved safety designs and technologies. In 2000, in Japan, Honda established the world’s first indoor car-to-car multidirectional crash test laboratory. The facility has played a critical role in the development of enhanced designs for occupant and pedestrian safety as well as vehicle-to-vehicle collision compatibility. In 2003, Honda R&D America’s opened an automotive safety test facility in Ohio to perform advanced testing on all its U.S.-developed models as well as advanced research utilizing unique equipment such as the world’s first pitching test sled and the world’s highest resolution impact barrier.

About Honda
Honda (NYSE: HMC) is the largest manufacturer of engines in the world that power a wide range of products, including automobiles and light trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment that earn the company more than 23 million customers annually. Honda began operations in the U.S. in 1959. The company has since invested more than $10.6 billion in its North America operations, including 16 major manufacturing facilities and 12 major research and development centers.

About ITS
The World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems is held annually, with the location rotating among nations in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The theme of the 15th World Congress on ITS is "ITS Connections. Saving Time. Saving Lives" The World Congress on ITS is the largest event in the world for ITS leaders, policy makers, and other industry professionals with approximately 35,000 participants. Held in conjunction with ITS America’s 2008 Annual Meeting, the event includes more than 200 extraordinary education sessions, exhibitions, and the largest fully-integrated demonstration showcasing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-roadside communication technologies and services.