AUTO SAFETY: STABILITRAK, NIGHT VISION JOIN SEAT BELT, AIR BAGS AS SAFETY FEATURES

Everyone knows about seat belts, air bags, anti-lock brakes and automatic rear view mirrors that adjust to downplay glaring headlights from the rear.

These are all safety features that have become standard equipment on many cars.

But what about "StabiliTrak," new parking assist systems, headlights that turn on by sensing how dark it is outside, and on-board diagnostic abilities.

Cars have come a long way from the day when starting the ignition meant turning a crank at the front of the car, at the risk of a bruised thumb.

Today, as a driver punches in a remote, keyless code to open the door, things start happening inside some vehicles -- seats automatically adjust to the owner's liking, the radio starts playing, tuned to a special station at just the right volume.

Computers prepare the car for its driver in many ways, by automatically setting the seat, rear view mirror and radio station and volume and air-conditioning and heating, recalling the driver's personal preference for each.

And it's not too far in the future that a motorist may spend some down time in a traffic jam reading e-mail, checking the balance in the family checkbook or finding out last night's sports scores.

A passenger in the car might surf the Internet.

Or the child in the back seat might play a video game.

And the future is already here for "Night Vision," better known as high-tech eyes of the future.

Today's cars have become a complex system of rolling electronics, mirroring the computer age in which we live.

Computers can decipher when the car needs a tune-up and which spark plug is bad. They can tell the owner when the car needs an oil change and when a tire is losing air, and which tire it is.

There's more.

Roadside center

On-board diagnostic abilities alert the driver if any the computerized function starts to malfunction.

The computer also stores a trouble code, indicating the precise nature of a problem. The code can be read using a simple diagnostic tool, making it easier for the mechanic to find the problem.

The system can spot many types of malfunctions early, before they become major problems.

A "roadside center" provides owners of some vehicles to access for minor reports and emergency situations.

A mobile communication system links drivers with advisers who are available to provide all kinds of assistance.

Onboard systems permit drivers to contact the center with the push of a button. The center adviser, using a GPS (global positioning system), can find the problem vehicle on a digital map and perform a number of services.

The center is never closed and is available in all 50 states, providing help in case of a lockout, flat tire, jump-starting a vehicle and other emergencies.

Other services provided by computer systems include theft detection, notification, stolen vehicle tracking, emergency service, remote diagnostics, route support, remote door unlock and a wide range of services, including hotel and travel reservations.

If certain repairs can't be done by "on the spot" contact with the center, the technician arranges the transportation of the car to a dealership.

Today's "roadside center" systems are known by many names -- OnStar, RESCU, Lojack, Airtouch Teletrac, OnGuard Tracker, Autolink and others -- and depending on the automotive company offer comprehensive communications systems.

"The average response time for these emergencies is 10 minutes," says Dave Jackson, of Van Matre Buick in Cape Girardeau. "You press your special button, and help is almost immediately available."

High-tech eyes

There's more computerization on some of today's cars than on the early Mercury space ships.

High-tech eyes help drivers see in the dark on one General Motors car.

"We offer a factory-installed option called Night Vision in Cadillac," said Dennis Bess, of the Crown Cadillac dealership in Cape Girardeau.

The sensor device mounted behind the grill allows drivers to see objects five times further away than with low beams and three times farther than with high beams.

The camera-like sensor picks infrared energy being radiated from objects directly ahead, processes the data in real time, and translates it into a video image which is projected onto the windshield, just to the left of center.

Another device to help motorists in parking is the "new ultrasonic rear parking assist," said Jackson.

"The systems sends out an ultrasonic beam from four sensors mounted in the rear bumper," said Jackson. The sensors detect obstacles behind the car and alert the driver to them.

Also available in many cars, StabiliTrak is an integrated vehicle stability control system that helps drivers maintain control in a skid.

Many auto manufacturers are looking to rear view mirrors to house the electronics necessary to link the vehicle to the digital world.

Now rear-view mirrors can turn on your windshield wipers, detect fog, deliver e-mail, check the weather and make telephone calls, all by talking to your mirror.

The high-tech beat goes on in the automotive field as navigation systems combine global positioning systems, onboard computer, cellular phones and personal services to keep drivers safe and on the right track.