Blind Spot Monitor & Rear Traffic Alert

The majority of our Volkswagen new vehicle range are equipped with a Blind Spot Monitor with a Rear Traffic Alert. These features help to detect vehicles that are in the blind spot, and assist while reversing with limited visibility.

Blind Spot Monitor

The sensors on the Blind Spot Monitor feature are there to sense what you may miss.

If you attempt to change lanes while driving along, the Blind Spot Monitor will alert you to other vehicles that may be in your blind spot.

This feature was created since the blind spot can sometimes be a safety issue for drivers, especially when drivers may be tired or not as focused as they should be on the road and surrounding vehicles. This gives an added sense of security whenever a lane change or corner-turn is needed.

The system is made up of two radar sensors which are located on the rear corners of the vehicle’s bumper, and can detect vehicles up to approx. 70 metres behind, and in the blind spots on either side. If changing lanes appears dangerous, the sensors will alert the driver with a flashing light located on the far side of each side mirror (as shown in the video below).

If, despite the warning, the steering wheel is turned in the direction of the vehicle detected, the system intervenes and steers in the opposite direction in order to avoid a collision (only in combination with ‘Lane Assist’). Even in this situation, the driver retains control of the vehicle and can override the system by actively steering.

Rear Traffic Alert

Rear Traffic Alert helps in situations with limited view.

The same sensors can act as a Rear Traffic Alert, helping in situations where the driver has limited view, especially when backing out of a car park or driveway. If another vehicle or object crosses the path of the reversing vehicle within an area of up to 50 metres, the driver will be alerted both acoustically and as a display on the infotainment system screen (if the vehicle is equipped with an infotainment system). If the driver doesn’t not brake or take any action, the vehicle can be commanded to stop automatically if needed, to reduce the possibility of a collision.