Can You Add Lane Assist to a Car? Aftermarket Kits and Ideas

Electrical equipment problems highlights

• Level of urgency:low
• DIY inspection:possible
• DIY repairs:possible but complicated
• Can you drive?yes
• Price of repairs:$150 - $350
• Ifignored:problems may develop and escalate
• Ways to fix:diagnose and replace the broken parts, try resetting the affected units

How Does Lane Assist Work?

Lane assist systems are safety technologies meant to keep your car safely in the confines of its lane on the road. Its purpose is to prevent potential accidents that could happen when your car drifts off the lane - often due to tiredness or loss of concentration - by giving you a subtle warning or nudge. 

Even when you drive too close to the dividing lines of the marked lanes, the lane assist helps you send a vibration through your seat or steering wheel to alert you of the change in direction or imminent danger. But how exactly does this system work? 

Lane assists, also known as Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems, use a visual motion detection system, and cameras, which are mounted close to the rearview mirror on your vehicle's windscreen. It considers the white or yellow line marking on each side of your car and uses the information to determine the position your car needs to be in to remain at the road center.

Once the camera detects that your car is drifting off or towards the line markings, especially if you did not activate the turn signal, it will warn you with either a visual or audible warning. It can also warn you by sending a vibration through your steering wheel.

Some lane assist system also has advanced safety features such as: 

• Steering capabilities allow the system to respond by slightly nudging the steering wheel to maintain the vehicle lane.
• Hands-free driving features.
• Adaptive control and collision avoidance systems to improve driving safety.

However, these lane assist functionalities and features vary with the model and type of vehicle in question.

If lane assist is unavailable in your car, you can install an aftermarket Lane Departure Warning system. You should also note that some vehicles are incompatible with aftermarket lane assist systems. 

Even if it is compatible with your car, there might be limitations to the performance and reliability of the LDW system on your vehicle. For instance, if your car has a Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) system, installing an aftermarket lane assist system might interfere with the performance of the existing BSM system. 

Therefore, before purchasing an aftermarket LDW system, research both your vehicle make and model and the specific aftermarket system you plan to install to ensure compatibility and avoid any potential issues.

What Are the Types of Lane Assist Systems?

Now that you have an idea of how lane assists work, you might be considering which type of lane assist will fit in your car. Among all the different ADAS systems, the most popular type often referred to as a lane assist system is the lane-departure warning (LDA), lane-keeping assistance (LKA), and lane-centering assistance (LCA) system.

Though most people think the lane departure warning system is the same as the other systems, with similar functions, in reality, it isn't. New vehicles offer a wide range of advanced safety features that keeps you from drifting off the road. 

However, it might be difficult to tell one system's features from another system. Here are more details that distinguish the lane departure warning from the lane-centering and the lane-keeping assistance:

1) Lane-departure Warning System

As I mentioned earlier, lane departure is also often known as the lane assist system, which makes it the most popular and also the basic type of lane assist technology. As the name implies, the LDW system alerts you when your vehicle is drifting out of the lane, especially when you did not activate the turn signal.

Now, LDW utilizes the camera on the rearview mirror to monitor the direction of your path on the road while detecting the road marker lines. The alert from this system is often:

• An audible warning
• A visual cue such as a blinking indicator light or icon.
• Some systems also give haptic warnings like subtle seat vibrations.

Since it is a passive system, the LDW does not interfere with your driving or prevent lane departure. However, it notifies you of your car movement so you can make the necessary adjustment to get back on your driving path. Exactly this kind of system you can add to almost any vehicle using aftermarket kits.

2) Lane-keeping Assistance (LKA) System

The lane-keeping assist (LKA) system incorporates the features of the LDW. However, unlike the LDW, the LKA is an active system. As an active system, LKA prevents a car from drifting out or into a different lane rather than just notifying you about the directional change of the vehicle. 

It employs automatic steering to drive your vehicle back to the lane center. Although you are still in control of the vehicle, you will feel your steering wheel adjust on its own. This movement feels like a hands-free car system, though the movement is based on the information the system has from the cameras. It's impossible to add this system to your car if it's not fitted with all the needed equipment.

3) Lane-centering Assistance (LCA) System

The lane-centering assist is the highest level of lane-assist technology among the three. It proactively incorporates the automatic steering function to make necessary adjustments while centering your vehicle on its lane.

The lane assist system also works simultaneously with adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist to enable a semi-automated driving system. 

So instead of adding aftermarket modification to your car, you can sell off your older vehicle to purchase any models with varying lane assist systems. 

How Much Does It Cost to Add a Lane Assist?

If you need to install aftermarket lane assist kits on your car, it can cost you about $300 to $3000. However, this depends on your car's model and brand and the specific lane assist features you need. 

For instance, if you need a basic lane assist system that will help notify you about lane departure, you might not have to spend so much - often about $300 to $500 - depending on your choice of the kit.

However, if you are looking to install a more advanced system such as features like automatic braking and lane centering assistance system, you basically have not choice because aftermarket kits aren't able to do that.

Pros and Cons of Installing Aftermarket Lane Assists

Now that you understand how lane assists function, you might consider getting one for your vehicle through aftermarket sources. However, you might have to consider several factors before installing a lane assist in your car. With that in mind, below are the pros and cons of installing aftermarket lane assists.

Pros:

• It saves you the cost of buying a new vehicle with a built-in lane assist.
• There are available aftermarket options for older vehicles.
• Assistance in maintaining lane discipline.
• Some aftermarket options may offer features that are not in the original built-in systems.

Cons:

• It can develop potential compatibility issues with your car's existing systems.
• Its integration is limited to vehicle sensors.
• Its quality and performance might not be as satisfactory as you require it to be.
• Aftermarket installations do not come with warranty coverage and support.
• Installing the aftermarket lane assist can void your vehicle's insurance coverage or warranty support.
• It is potentially difficult to install and calibrate, which means you require expert assistance.

Given these factors, it is advisable to sell your vehicle if necessary and purchase a car that comes with lane assists that the company installed specifically for your vehicle. The manufacturer tests and designs these assist systems, ensuring correct integration and better performance.

Alternative Lane Assist Ideas

Apart from the aftermarket kits, you could try using other alternatives that won't compromise your vehicle's insurance and warranty. Though these ideas might not be as efficient as the company-installed lane assist systems, they also improve your vehicle lane control and driving safety.

Moreover, these lane assists ideas may offer more seamless integration and better performance than aftermarket kits.

Some of these alternative lane assists ideas include:

• Mobile applications that mimic the functions of lane assists.
• Rearview Camera
• Blind spot warning systems

Final Words

Though aftermarket lane assists may seem like an attractive option for your vehicle, you might have some challenges after installation, especially if it is not compatible with your car. You can invest in the alternative lane assist ideas or, better still, sell your vehicle, if necessary, at a good price and purchase a vehicle with integrated lane assist features.