Japanese automaker Nissan Motor says it has developed a new technology to help drivers avoid collisions.

Nissan and other Japanese automakers already produce vehicles that can automatically brake if the car in front of them suddenly stops. But Nissan announced on Wednesday a new computer system that automatically steers the car to avoid colliding with objects in the road.

The system relies on radar and laser scanners. It also uses a front-mounted camera to provide information on what's happening outside the car.

Using information from those devices, the system decides to act if a collision cannot be avoided by braking.

The system first alerts the driver to turn in a certain direction.

If the driver cannot immediately turn in that direction, the system takes over the steering to help avoid a collision.

Tetsuya Iijima, an engineer at Nissan Motor, says he believes the new technology can sharply reduce the number of accidents. He says the company is looking to cut the system's costs and release it in 5 years.