Not sure what was wrong with beeps and flashing lights, but the new Cadillac XTS vibrations of the driver’s seat bottom to warn of crash threats while driving and parking. It will be the first car to use directional tactile sensation. Caddy says the vibrators are there to complement the other visual alerts. We might be nitpicking here, but this system can be further distracting for female drivers!

Cadillac Safety Alert Seat generates vibrating pulse patterns on the left and/or right side of the lower bolster to alert the driver of potential dangers, such as drifting from a traffic lane or toward nearby objects while parking. Threats from the front and rear trigger pulses on both sides of the seat. It also works while parking, so instead of waiting to hear the beeps, you wait until you feel a fizzing sensation in your bottom, and then stop.

The seats are part of the Cadillac Driver Awareness and Driver Assist packages, a combination of active safety systems designed to help drivers avoid crashes. The Driver Awareness Package, available for the launch of the Cadillac XTS this spring, includes Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The Driver Assist Package, available this fall, also uses the Safety Alert Seat and features Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Collision Preparation, and Front and Rear Automatic Braking Systems