A HUGE 37% of drivers revealed they do not feel prepared for the oncoming winter conditions, and 32% say they don't understand how to prepare or use their cars extra safety features for winter! - according to recent research commissioned by the automaker.As the clocks have gone back an hour, and the days become shorter, drivers will find themselves behind the wheel in the dark more often this time of year, meaning journeys become more challenging. 61% of motorists have amitted they are already nervous to be driving in winter conditions, whilst 46% admitted they wished they had been taught to properly drive in adverse weather.However, the amazing news is that Nissan’s all-new Qashqai is equipped with the latest advanced safety technologies for added peace of mind and security.
“We know that this time of year often brings about unsettling feelings regarding driving and the data shows that 56 per cent of UK drivers have cancelled or postponed a journey due to bad weather.
“We have equipped the all-new Qashqai with easy-to-use technology which allows drivers to focus on the road ahead and feel reassured knowing the vehicle will support them in challenging conditions,” said Marco Fioravanti, Vice President, Product Planning, Nissan Europe.
Driving in the dark or fogHeavy rain or snow can make visibility very low on roads and motorways during day light hours, and would you be surprised to hear that less than half of UK Drivers feel completely confident about how to adjust their headlights for road condition, such as turning on side lights for dusk, or full beams when dark.The all-new Qashqai features adaptive matrix headlamps, which automatically change the shape of the beam according to the road conditions.Driving in icy or snowy conditionDid you know that more than half of UK drivers don't wait for their windscreen to fully demist before starting a journey? This could potentially put themselves or other in dangers as it lowers the drivers visability. The new Qashqai’s windscreen has an integrated heating element, meaning any snow or ice can be easily cleared within seconds, giving a full, clear view ahead, minimising any inconvenience and delay before starting the journey.
Furthermore, with additional spray from wet and salty road conditions, the windscreen can quickly accumulate dirty residue which can combine with bright headlights to obscure the view of the road.
Nissan’s engineers have moved the spray nozzles to the windscreen wipers, ensuring the jets of water are applied precisely where they are needed to clean the windscreen.
68% of UK drivers have admitted to not feeling confident in knowing how bring a skid to a stop when on icy roads, whilst 73% have said they don't know what tyres they should be using when it snows, or even the stopping distance in these conditions. During snowy or icy conditions, the breaking distance increases, and do you should adjust your speed to fit this. Despite this fact, two-thirds of drivers don't tend to check their breaks in the winters, and third won't change the speed at which they drive.
This is a huge cause for concern, as well as the fact that 46% of UK drivers believe the stopping distance in these dangerous conditions is 5 times further than normal, opposed to the reccommended ten times the normal spotting distance.
With the all-new Qashqai, Nissan introduces for the first time on its models in Europe its Intelligent Forward Collision Warning technology, which uses a predictive function that can see beyond the vehicle in front and apply automatic braking to avoid a collision.
For the most sure-footed drive in all-conditions, the new Qashqai is available with an advanced all-wheel drive system that constantly monitors the available traction, and will distribute power to the rear wheels in a split-second when it detects a loss of grip from the front wheels.
Additionally, drivers can select the optimum driving mode according to the conditions or their preferences, varying between snow, off-road, sport, eco and standard.
Driving more safely
To allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road, the all-new Qashqai is equipped with a head-up display which allows the driver to follow navigation directions, as well as the correct speed limit by projecting key navigation, driver assistance and road information onto the windscreen within the driver’s line of vision.
The driver support technology of the all-new Qashqai now includes ProPILOT with Navi-link, which can adapt the car’s speed based on a speed limit reduction, and adjust the speed as the vehicle approaches curves or exit ramps.
Additionally, the new Qashqai will use a camera to monitor the car’s position in the lane and gently adjust the trajectory if it detects it is moving out of its lane.