If technology exists, but you can't realistically afford it, should you really care?

Though automated safety systems have existed for some time, the cost of necessary cameras and radar modules has limited their existence to ultra-premium vehicles. A wave of announcements at the New York International Auto Show demonstrates the proliferation of technology that can automatically steer or brake a car in an emergency to avoid or lessen the severity of collisions. Toyota Safety Sense, a suite of active and autonomous safety systems, brings sentient safety to a price point near $500 -- significantly less than competitors' systems.

"It's to save lives," said John Hanson, advanced technology communication manager at Toyota. "The thinking here is that we really need to make this technology available across the board, not just in every model, but in every trim level."

Honda Sensing, a similar suite of autonomous safety technology including active lane keep assist and automatic collision mitigation braking systems, will be available on the next-generation Honda Civic. 

"We're going to focus on safety for the mass market," said Honda spokesperson Davis Adams. "Acura is our technology leader. This is technology we're able to scale and bring to Honda."

Wheel speed sensors, stability control components and electronic power steering systems already exist as standard equipment, forming a backbone essential to autonomous safety systems. The missing links -- radar modules and cameras -- have fallen in complexity and price, making them more viable to include in entry-level cars. Shrinking size and smarter software enable easier integration of the last components needed to transform active safety systems into intelligent accident avoidance.

"It all started with anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control," Hanson said. "Sensors notice things you don't. Electronic systems can do things quicker than you can. It's the processing part that the driver still needs to control. The car only takes over when it determines the driver has not sensed, processed and acted."

While autonomous safety systems might not yet be federally mandated, they are required to earn the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick Plus rating, an increasingly important metric among car shoppers searching for safety. IIHS recommendations are often a bellwether for technologies that are later federally mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.

"Being able to see the road around you is not something new to us," Adams said. "Every single Honda comes with a reverse camera, ahead of any federal legislation. That's a good start."

Honda's goal, Adams said, is to "improve, but not remove" the driver's role in controlling a vehicle. Honda Sensing is intended to improve the car's reaction time to driver inputs rather than take over altogether. That next step is natural, according to Toyota, and could be close at hand.

"In five years, you'll buy a very smart car, and own a car that's not so smart," Hanson said. "There may be instances where people change between cars that do things for you and cars that don't. These are questions that will come at people like a firehose in the next five years."

Auto World News was on the ground and covering the 2015 New York International Auto Show. Check out our up-to-the-minute coverage of all the action in New York City, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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