Ford’s Exit Warning is an urban delight for van drivers

With the increase in on-line shopping, added to our liking to have our purchases 
delivered to our front door, plus the simple fact that everything in our homes arrives 
in a van or a truck, it is easy to see the immense role the van plays in our lives. In 
some busy cities in the UK, it is reckoned that delivery drivers can make up to 200 
drop-offs per day during the Christmas period. 
 
Working under such pressure can lead to “Dooring” incidents, when drivers open the 
doors of their vehicles without noticing that bicycles, scooters, or motorcycles are 
approaching. Every year, in England, Wales and Scotland alone, more than 500 
people are injured because someone opened a car door into their path. It is thought 
that many further such incidents go unreported.  
 
Now, Ford is hoping to help reduce the risk of dooring accidents and help make 
journeys safer through the introduction of innovative Exit Warning technology.  
 
The all-new Ford Transit Custom    can be equipped with Exit Warning. Radar and 
external sensors help identify when an opening door might cause a collision with a 
passing road user and LED indicators on the door mirrors are activated, as well as an 
alert on the dashboard. 
 
To avoid unnecessary activation, the system only operates when other road users 
exceed speeds of 7 kilometres per hour. Drivers and their passengers can manually 
override the feature in an emergency. 
 
The all-new Transit Custom is the latest version of Ford’s one-tonne van and was 
recently named International Van of the Year 2024. Exit Warning works on both 
sides of the vehicle. This can be useful for instances where the driver or other 
occupants exit the vehicle from the passenger door and cyclists might be on the 
pavement, or a cycle lane is running parallel to the road. 
 
The technology is also available on the all-new Tourneo Custom multi-activity 
vehicle, for which the protection extends to passengers exiting from the rear sliding 
side doors. Exit Warning will also be extended to the new electric Explorer   crossover 
and new Mustang, and is expected to come to further Ford vehicles in 2024. 
Independent safety authority Euro NCAP takes safety features such as Exit Warning 
into consideration when awarding vehicle ratings.  
 
Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe, commented: 
“Vans are the lifeblood of our cities. We know that dropping off hundreds of parcels a 
day can be difficult and demanding for delivery drivers – especially at this time of 
year. By offering Exit Warning on the all-new Transit Custom, we are aiming to make 
journeys safer for Ford Pro drivers and other road users as well.”