Nissan says it will make the Safety Shield 360 suite standard on 10 models in the US beginning from 2021

Nissan is looking to improve the appeal of its cars in an effort to boost sales by not only introducing new or updated models, but also ensuring they are well equipped. The Japanese automaker recently announced that it will make its Safety Shield 360 suite of active safety technologies standard on 10 models in the United States, beginning in 2021.

“Offering these safety technologies as standard equipment on 10 of our most popular models is an important step forward. This added layer of protection can help keep young drivers safe especially as they are getting used to being on busy roads,” said Andy Christensen, senior manager and lead technology expert of Intelligent Transportation System Research, Nissan Technical Centre North America.

The announcement coincides with National Teen Driver Safety Week, an annual reminder for parents to have conversations with teens about rules to stay safe while behind the wheel of a car. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the risk of car accidents is higher among teens aged 16-19 than among any other age group; more so during the first few months of driving.

The Safety Shield 360 suite includes six systems: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, high beam assist, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and rear automatic braking. Currently, Nissan offers the package as standard on the Sentra, Leaf, Maxima, Kicks, Rogue Sport and Titan, with the latest Rogue (also known as the X-Trail) set to join the list. Three other models that make up the 10 cars are still unknown and will be revealed “in the coming months.”

These systems are certainly beneficial, as the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) reports that vehicles with forward collision warning and AEB experience a 56% reduction in crashes with injuries. It also states that crashes when reversing went down by 78% in vehicles with rear automatic braking and by 22% in vehicles with rear cross-traffic alert.