Tell your Honda to get parked

The Honda motor company says it has developed a system that enables drivers to park their cars easily with voice guidance and an automatic steering function, focusing on females and beginner drivers who are not good at parking.

The parking support device will be available as an option of the revamped Life minivehicle to be launched October 5. The device will be priced at Y52,500 ($A596.59).

Other automakers (Toyota, VW and BMW) have introduced parking support systems that utilize cameras and monitors.

Honda said it has made its system simple and has set suitable price for minivehicles whose main drivers are women.

Keys to smooth parking are to place a car at a good position to start backing up and to have the right steering angle in backing, the automaker said.

According to Honda, to make a parallel parking with its parking support system, drivers first stop their cars next to the side of the car parked immediately behind the targeted parking spot, by using the guiding mark prepared on the inside of the front passenger seat's door in their vehicles. Their cars should be stopped when the mark and the front edge of the adjoining car overlap.

Then, the drivers press the operation bottom to start voice guidance. In accordance with the guidance, they let up on the brakes to initiate automatic steering, which will take their cars to the optimum position in order to start to back up.

The voice guidance will also assist the drivers in backing up, telling them where and how much they should turn the handle.

The system helps other types of parking in a similar manner, Honda said.

Source: AAP 2006