OREANDA-NEWS. Every 2014 Buick model – Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore and Enclave – will be offered with a suite of available active safety systems that watch the front, side and rear of the vehicle to help prevent crashes.

Buick will be the only brand in the industry to offer Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Warning, and a Rear Vision Camera on every vehicle.

Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning are a pair of technologies that use a single forward-looking camera to read traffic and lane markers on the road ahead. Visual warnings and audible tones alert the driver to unsignaled lane changes or a slowed vehicle.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Warning use radar to watch spots the driver may not see – and provide visible and audible warnings to help prevent collisions.

When the vehicle is in reverse and the Rear Vision Camera is active, Rear Cross Traffic Alert will flash a red icon and directional arrow if another vehicle is approaching from either side, which is especially useful backing out of a tight driveway or parking space in a busy lot.

Side Blind Zone Alert detects other vehicles in a Buick’s blind spot and alerts the driver with a yellow icon on the glass of either side view mirror. If a turn signal is engaged while a vehicle is detected in the next lane, the system provides an audible alert to discourage merging.

“Striking design, uncompromised comfort and purposeful safety technology – those are the core attributes of every Buick,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick Marketing. “Our 2014 lineup will tell an active safety story exclusive to the Buick brand and, more importantly, one that helps protect our drivers and passengers better than ever before.”

Passive safety is equally important to Buick. Although 2014 models have not been rated, every 2013 Buick model available today has been designated as a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Current Buick models make extensive use of high strength steel and, with the Verano compact luxury sedan and Encore luxury small crossover, offer as many as 10 standard air bags.

The Enclave luxury crossover comes standard with the industry’s first front center air bag, which helps protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes. It deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the driver and front passenger, offering protection that no other airbag can offer.