Findings from a new Ford-commissioned study suggests in-vehicle breakups could be on the rise this holiday season, many Millennials would trade their morning coffee for a drive free of holiday road rage behavior, and that nearly twice as many women have been called a backseat driver in comparison to men (16% vs 28%).

“Drivers already have to play defense against enough stressful driving scenarios during road travel, between the traffic, bad road conditions, pedestrians and higher propensity of road rage,” says Angela Cascaden, Edge consumer marketing manager at Ford Motor Company. “Ford Co-Pilot360™, and other technology features in the new 2019 Ford Edge, are making cars smarter — helping drivers navigate stressful situations so they can enjoy the experience behind the wheel.”

According to nearly one-third of drivers surveyed say (31%), the number one trigger for road rage is distracted drivers. The top forms of road rage behavior include yelling or using profanity (75%), cutting another driver off (71%) and honking (70%).

Interestingly, Millennial drivers are the worst offenders, yet four in 10 would forego caffeine forever if it meant they would never have to deal with holiday road rage again.

Ford Co-Pilot360™, a suite of standard driver-assist technologies, can help people drive more confidently, which in turn can help calm passengers for a more harmonious ride. This suite of technologies includes features that can automatically apply the brakes if drivers do not respond in time to detect potential risks ahead, identify and steer into parallel and perpendicular parking spots, or nudge a driver back into their lane if they mistakenly drift.

The 2019 Ford Edge for example, is outfitted with a wide range of instinctive and connected in-vehicle technology features, including:

• Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking: uses camera technology to scan the roadway ahead to detect a potential collision with pedestrians and or vehicles in front of the driver, provides a collision warning, and can automatically apply the brakes if the driver has not taken any corrective action
• Lane Keeping System: can warn the driver through a steering wheel vibration if it detects an unintentional drift of the vehicle out of its lane without the turn signal activated
• BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert: uses radar to help detect vehicles entering a driver’s blind spot on the road or approaching the driver, and alerts the driver with an indicator light in the side view mirror

• Additional features include rear view camera and auto high beam lighting

Additional Available Driver-Assist Technologies:

• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane Centering: helps the vehicle maintain a pre-set driving distance from vehicles ahead and helps the driver keep the vehicle centered in its lane
• Evasive Steering Assist: uses radar and a camera to detect slower-moving or stationary vehicles ahead and provides additional steering support that can assist drivers to avoid a vehicle if a collision is imminent
• Post-Collision Braking: can potentially lessen the severity of a secondary collision by automatically applying moderate brake pressure when an initial collision is detected

Let us show you how much security and peace of mind can be had behind the wheel of a Ford vehicle equipped with Co-Pilot360™. Click the TEST DRIVE button below to schedule a tour and road test of the model that would suit you best.