Between the driver assistance systems are not often mentioned those that allow to increase the view of the driver , pu r since it is one of the fundamental elements for safety while driving. In fact, if the driver does not perceive a danger, various systems can help avoiding a potential accident but if a priori methods and technologies are implemented that allow to improve the view of driving, the fallout, in terms of greater safety, is very evident. .

Anyone who has driven a recently introduced vehicle, coming from one 5-7 years ago, will immediately notice the step forward that has been made in technologies related to lighting . Night driving is now much smoother and safer thanks to vehicle-mounted road lighting systems that are much more powerful and effective: the light beam is not only more beautiful to see but allows you to see a higher portion of the road. However, it is not possible with car lights to illuminate in full daylight and that is why the development of technologies has also led to innovations in this area.

Peugeot offers the Night Vision system with its vehicles of the series 508, 508 SW, 3008 and 5008 , to supplement the other ADAS devices already present in the vehicles. It is a passive type system, based on a thermographic camera mounted in the front grille which is sensitive to temperature objects placed in front of the vehicle. In this way it allows to detect the presence of people or animals up to a distance of 200 meters , indicating their presence as well as the risk that they are in the path of the vehicle.

Night Vision works by reproducing, in the Peugeot i-Cockpit dashboard of the vehicle, the vision of what the thermal imaging camera captures in front of us . When a potential danger is detected, this is highlighted through some graphic indications: in orange if the obstacle is not in the path followed by the vehicle, in red if instead it is aligned with it and a collision is possible. The red visual alarm is accompanied by an audible one, so as to call the driver more attention.

The driver can decide to maintain the constant display of the image taken by the front camera by exploiting the size of the instrument panel digital of the PEUGEOT i-Cockpit or let the alarm be sent in the form of a temporary window which is activated on the right side of the instrument panel when needed.

The thermal imaging camera has a viewing angle of 18 ° vertically and 24 ° horizontally; as the vehicle speed increases, beyond 80 Km / h, the horizontal angle is thus reduces to obtain a higher precision in the detection of the most distant heat sources, adapting the beam according to the steering angle. Being dependent on the temperature of the framed bodies Night Vision works correctly in a temperature range: from – 30 a + 28 Celsius degrees. Its nature necessarily requires that the ambient light be very small or completely absent, vice versa it cannot function. Its operation is assured up to the speed of 160 Km / h, no more.

Night Vision is available for Peugeot vehicles 508, 508 SW, 3008 and 5008 which optional on GT and GT Pack trim levels , proposed at cost of 1. 00 0 € . A good number of customers have chosen it for their cars: Peugeot reports that to date it has been installed in approximately 45% of the vehicles of the two outfits for which it can be requested.