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by: JasonLancaster
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Word Count: 558

Vehicles of virtually every type and make have been steadily growing over the past ten years. "Entry level" cars by companies like BMW are almost the same size nowadays as a mid-size car from a decade ago. One of the consequences of vehicle sizes expanding is that parking now is harder than ever.

The most obvious vehicle size increase has been in the pickup truck segment, where "small" trucks like the Dodge Dakota now look like giants beside their early predecessors. Full-size trucks have also been expanding, becoming heavier, wider and taller. Toyota too has participated in this growth trend. The Toyota Tundra was originally a mid-size pickup marketed to full-size buyers. Toyota realized a larger vehicle could fit more customers, and as a result, the 2007 Tundra was much bigger than earlier models in almost every dimension.

The downside of bigger vehicles is that parking is now a lot harder than it was before. When driving a new Toyota Tundra, you may notice it's difficult to tell where the truck begins and ends. As a solution to these new parking woes, vehicle designers have developed a new tool for drivers called "parking assist."

The "parking assist" is a system of sensors that on most vehicles will be mounted on either front or rear bumpers, or both. The sensors emit an audible beep when the vehicle gets too close to an obstacle, beginning from about 6 feet away, depending on the system, and increasing in frequency until becoming a continuous tone at about 6 inches away. The system can help drivers parallel park, and warn them if something small, such as a mailbox or child, is near the vehicle. If you're curious about how the "parking assist" works, read on.

The system works using a set of "eyes", or special sensors, mounted in the vehicle's bumpers. The sensors regularly transmit highly focused sound waves from the bumpers, which are reflected back towards the sensor whenever they hit a solid object. Since sound travels at a fairly constant speed through air, a computer can calculate the distance between the bumper and object based on the amount of time it takes for the signal to return to the bumper. Submarines using active sonar underwater employ the same basic principle, although water transmits sound better than air, which results in better range for the submarine sensors.

Although the sensors can effectively detect stationary objects such as parked vehicles and garage doors, they're not sensitive enough for smaller mobile objects, such as animals or children. These objects might not generate a warning beep, or at least not consistently. Therefore, drivers still need to use caution and be aware of their vehicle's surroundings when parking. Parking assist, also called parking sonar, is definitely a useful tool, but is not a replacement for a careful driver.

Some high-end luxury cars are beginning to feature the next generation of parking assist systems, which are amazing devices. A video camera and complex computer program are used to enhance the accuracy of traditional sound sensors. Instead of simply emitting warnings when the driver is close to an object, the newer parking assist systems can actually steer and park the car for you. This is an amazing tool for parallel parking - as long as you're ready to give your car control of the steering, gas and brake. Whatever will they dream up next?

About the Author

Author Jason Lancaster operates TundraHeadquarters.com, a web site with information, news, and reviews of Toyota Tundra parts and Tundra accessories.

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