CTA System

When the transmission is in reverse, the CTA system can detect a vehicle or a bicycle that is approaching at a speed between 8 km/h and 64 km/h (5 mph and 40 mph) and time to impact is between 1 and 2.5 seconds. The CTA system illuminates a LED in the outside mirror on the side of your vehicle the approaching vehicle is coming from. The CTA system also sounds an audible alert and a message appears in the information display or a warning indicator displays in the enabled driver information HUD area (if equipped and enabled by the driver), indicating a vehicle is coming from the right or left. The distance at which an alert is generated varies depending on the speed of the approaching vehicles or bicycles. The CTA system response time and performance can degrade if vehicles are approaching at speeds greater than 64 km/h (40 mph). An adjacent parked vehicle or object can affect the systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles. Parking at extreme angles can further affect the systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles. Backing towards a curve road can also affect systems ability to detect approaching vehicles or bicycles.

The CTA system is designed to detect any objects approaching the vehicle at a speed equal to or greater than 8 km/h (5 mph). This includes vehicles and bicycles. The CTA system has some detection limitations due to the nature of the radar technology used by the SODL and SODR. The system cannot normally detect stationary vehicles, humans, animals or objects such as fences, guard rails or trees.

Circumstances that may cause non-detection are: 

• Debris build-up, mud, snow/ice or bumper stickers on the rear bumper sides
• The rear quarter panel of the vehicle is obstructed or partially obstructed by an adjacently parked vehicle or object
• Vehicle approaching at speeds greater than 64 km/h (40 mph)
• Driving in reverse faster than 12 km/h (8 mph)
• Damage to sensor and/or sensor area

Due to the nature of radar technology, there may be certain instances when the CTA system alerts the operator, when no object or vehicle is present while backing up. This is known as a false alert. False alerts up to 3% of the time (3 times out of 100 reversals) are considered normal. A false alert may occur when backing out of a garage or backing into a parking space and objects or vehicles are very close to the radar sensors. False alerts are temporary and self-correcting.

Missed targets occur when a target is present and the LED does not illuminate. Missed targets up to 1% (1 out of 100 targets) is considered normal operation.

Circumstances that cause missed alerts are: 

• Debris build-up, mud, snow/ice or bumper stickers on the rear bumper sides
• Certain maneuvering of the vehicles entering and exiting the detection zone
• Vehicles passing through the detection zone at high rates of speed
• When several vehicles forming a convoy pass through the detection zone