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CARS
Mike Bell

New Ford F-150 knob eases backing up a trailer

Alisa Priddle and Chris Woodyard
Detroit Free Press and USA TODAY
The 2016 Ford F150  gets a new system to make backing up trailiers easier

Just ahead of the traditional start of the summer vacation season, Ford has added a new feature to its pickup trucks that will make launching a boat or backing up a trailer a whole lot easier.

It's called trailer "backup assist," essentially allowing drivers to back up their trucks while keeping an eye on their trailers with a single knob. It's based on some of the same engineering that went into creation of Ford's self-parking system for cars.

It is a first for the segment, said Mike Bell, a vehicle dynamics engineer, and largely consists of software and a control knob on the dashboard.

Once activated, shift into reverse, take your hands off the steering wheel. Turn a knob in the direction the trailer needs to go and let the truck automatically steer it onto place.

The driver must still work the accelerator and brake, but the truck will limit speed while backing up if necessary. To navigate, the driver has the traditional side mirrors as well as the view from the rear camera projected onto the screen in the dashboard.

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