Detroit Assurance Active Lane Assist (ALA)

The features in active lane assist (ALA) are intended only as aids for a conscientious and alert driver. Do not rely on ALA to safely operate the vehicle.

The driver is responsible for keeping their hands on the wheel at all times when ALA is active.

ALA may not indicate lane departures under certain conditions. Read the information in this manual to understand the circumstances under which ALA may not provide adequate lane departure warnings.

ALA does not warn of all possible hazards and is not a substitute for safe driving procedures.

Failure to drive safely and use ALA properly could result in personal injury and/or death and severe property damage.

Active Lane Assist Safety Information

Features in ALA may become inactive under conditions where lane markings cannot clearly be identified. These conditions include:

• low visibility, due to insufficient road illumination or due to snow, rain, fog, smoke, or heavy spray;

• glare from oncoming traffic, the sun, or reflection from other vehicles when the road surface is wet;

• the windshield being dirty, misted up, damaged, or covered in the vicinity of the camera;

• the lane markings being unclear, such as in a construction zone;

• the lane markings being worn, dark, or covered;

• the distance to the vehicle in front being too small and preventing the lane markings from being detected;

• the lane markings changing quickly—lanes branching off, crossing one another, or merging;

• the road being narrow and winding;

• highly variable shade conditions on the road surface;

• an attachment (such as a snow plow) restricting the camera's view of the lane markings;

• a significant change in load with the vehicle on. Start the vehicle after a significant change in load to have ALA available without restrictions.

ALA cannot take the road, weather conditions, or the current traffic situation into account. The driver is responsible for maintaining a safe distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, braking in good time, and remaining in the lane.

Active Lane Assist Overview

ALA with auto stop consists of:

• lane departure protection (LDP), a feature that builds on LDW

• lane keep assist (LKA)

• auto stop, a feature that builds on LKA

When ALA with auto stop is on, it monitors the area in front of the vehicle with the multipurpose camera mounted at the top of the windshield. Keep the windshield clean and unobstructed in the area of the camera.

The LDW/LDP function of ALA detects lane markings on the road surface, warns the driver they may be leaving their lane unintentionally, and, if a driver does not respond to these warnings, moves the vehicle back into the center of the lane. If the driver's preferred lane position is other than 'center,' LKA will move the vehicle into the requested lane position after the LDP intervention is complete.

The LKA function of ALA uses micro-steering adjustments to keep the vehicle in the driver's preferred lane position. It also monitor's the driver's steering, and if it senses the driver's hand's have been removed, cautions the driver to return their hands to the steering wheel.

Auto stop works with LKA to smoothly bring the vehicle to a safe stop after LKA has registered that the driver has had their hands off the steering wheel for 60 seconds. Auto stop works to increase the safety of all road users in the case of an incapacitated driver.

Active Lane Assist Activation Conditions

ALA is activated each time the vehicle is turned on.

The LDW/LDP component of ALA is ready to issue warnings and initiate actions as soon as the vehicle reaches 37 mph (60 km/h) and both lane lines are identified and show on the driver display as solid lane markings. LDP requires both lane lines to be identifiable to function; LDW only requires one lane line to function.

LKA is ready to issue warnings and initiate actions when cruise control is active and when the vehicle is driving forward at approximately 15-20 mph (24-32 km/h).

The status of LKA is shown by the color and design of the steering wheel telltales on the driver display screen.

• Blue hands-on steering wheel: LKA is on and actively steering.

• Grey hands-on steering wheel: LKA is on but inactive (due to glare, snow, bad lane lines, etc.).

• Red hands-on steering wheel: auto stop is active.

• Amber steering wheel with exclamation point: There is an problem with the electro-hydraulic power steering system which deactivates LKA.

• Red steering wheel with exclamation point: There is an error with the adaptive power steering (APS) which deactivates LKA or an error with LKA.

• No steering wheel icon: LKA is off or deactivated.

See Fig. and Fig. for examples of an LKA status telltale in the driver display.

Auto stop initiates at the end of the LKA hands-on warning cascade and is activated only when LKA is active.

If the driver takes their hands off the steering wheel for fifteen seconds with Lane Keep Assist (LKA) active, an amber caution pop-up screen will appear (see Fig.) telling the driver to return their hands to the steering wheel. Doing so will cause the pop-up to disappear.

Active Lane Assist Functions and Warnings

ALA works to keep the vehicle within the lane, issues warnings when a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel, and if necessary intervenes to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.

With the driver's hands on the steering wheel, the LKA feature of ALA engages in micro-steering adjustments to offset side winds, lateral road inclination, and other environmental forces to keep the vehicle in the driver's preferred lane position. The preferred lane position can be set by selecting 'Quick Access' > 'Follow Distance/Lane Position.' Options include: offset to the right, offset to the left, or center. The default lane position is center.

If the micro-steering of LKA cannot compensate for the sideways movement of the vehicle and the vehicle crosses over the lane markings with no turn signal activation, LDW issues a warning as follows:

• The exceeded lane markings are shown in red on the driver display screen.

• The volume of the audio equipment and/or hands-free system is muted.

• A warning rumble strip sound is broadcast from the speaker on the side of the exceeded lane markings.

If the driver does not steer the vehicle back into the lane or activate a turn signal, a warning notification appears on the driver display and LDP intervenes. An acoustic warning sounds while LDP guides the vehicle back into the center of the lane.

LDW does not issue a warning about traveling over lane markings if:

• a turn signal is switched on;

• a driving safety system, such as ABA, stability control, or ACC intervenes.

LDW only issues a visual warning about traveling over lane markings if the driver is braking, accelerating, or making a sharp turn.

In addition to helping keep the vehicle in the desired lane position, LKA monitors the driver's hands on the steering wheel. If LKA senses the driver's hands are not on the steering wheel, it issues a series of warnings.

If LKA is active and the driver takes their hands off the steering wheel for 15 seconds, an amber caution pop-up window appears telling the driver to return their hands to the steering wheel. Doing so causes the pop-up window to disappear.

If the driver does not return their hands to the steering wheel, at 30 seconds a red warning pop-up window appears and an acoustical warning starts to sound every five seconds.

If the driver does not return their hands to the steering wheel, at 55 seconds the acoustical warning starts to sound every second.

If the driver does not return their hands to the steering wheel, at 60 seconds the acoustical warning becomes a continuous loud audible warning and auto stop initiates.

As soon as the driver places their hands on the steering wheel, the LKA visual and audible warnings cease and the hands-off count is reset to zero.

LKA becomes inactive when the driver activates a turn signal and when auto stop activates.

LKA deactivates with the intervention of LDW/LDP, the deactivation of ACC, and if deactivated by the driver.

The auto stop feature of LKA activates at the end of the LKA cascade of hands-on warnings and engages the vehicle's service brakes to smoothly bring the vehicle to a complete stop while keeping it within the lane.

During an auto stop activation:

• a warning appears on the driver display stating that auto stop is active and providing override procedures, shown in Fig.. 

• the auto stop telltale of a red hands-on steering wheel, shown in Fig. appears on the driver’s display;

• when auto stop has brought the vehicle to a standstill, the auto stop telltale clears and a caution with the standstill override procedure appears on the driver display; see Fig..

Once auto stop initiates, ACC is canceled. If active, ABA5 remains active while auto stop slows the vehicle.

After reaching a standstill, auto stop turns on the vehicle's headlights, cabin lights, and hazard lights, applies the hold brakes, and shifts the transmission into neutral.

If auto stop is initiated three times, a notification of misuse appears on the driver display, shown in Fig.. the auto stop telltale clears, and ALA is deactivated. The driver must restart the vehicle to enable ALA. Deactivation of ALA deactivates LDP, LKA, and auto stop.

Active Lane Assist (ALA) Switches

In a vehicle equipped with an ICC5, there are four possible switches related to active lane assist (ALA): two digital and two physical:

A physical LDW off switch, shown in Fig..

A physical LKA off switch, shown in Fig..

A digital LKA off switch, shown in Fig..

ALA with auto stop can also be deactivated under 'Settings' > 'Driving Assistance.'

Pressing either a physical or digital LKA OFF switch turns off LKA for the key cycle. The switch light illuminates to show that LKA is off. Pressing the switch or restarting the vehicle turns LKA on.

Pressing the LDW OFF switch will turn off LDW and, by extension, LDP for fifteen minutes. When LDW is off, the light on the LDW alert switch illuminates.

A driver might want to turn off LDW on winding roads or when driving through construction zones or other areas where lane markings are not clear.