With automobiles representing the dominant means of transportation and vehicle ownership increasing exponentially over the past decades, we’ve come to accept car accidents as an unfortunate but inevitable part of modern life. People’s growing reliance on their personal vehicles leads to all sorts of issues, such as air pollution, a sedentary lifestyle, traffic congestion, and a higher number of road collisions, many of which result in serious injuries or lost lives.
The commonness of these dramatic events caused us to become desensitized to them, so many people no longer perceive the seriousness of car crashes and often ignore the risk factors and the perils they expose themselves to when getting behind the wheel. Most individuals are also oblivious to the sad reality that 97% of traffic collisions are caused by human error, which means they could be avoided.
This statistic underscores a major concern regarding people’s driving habits but also offers a glimmer of hope because as long as something is preventable, there’s something we can do about it. Research and practical experience have demonstrated that despite the rapid pace of motorization worldwide, it’s possible to reduce risks and decrease the number of traffic fatalities considerably with the help of advanced car safety features.
In addition to basic safety mechanisms like seatbelts and airbags which have become a standard feature in all cars, a series of innovative solutions have emerged over the years, promising to make roads safer for all traffic participants. So, let’s take a look at the most notable advances in car safety technology and how they can help diminish the risk of accidents and all the devastating consequences they bring along.
Front automatic emergency braking
While most rear-end collisions don’t result in life-threatening injuries, they are among the most common types of car crashes, accounting for almost 29% of incidents. Inattentiveness, distracted driving, tailgating, and sudden stops are the main contributing factors. Since people can’t always be trusted to break on time, manufacturers have developed front automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to correct these errors and take charge when drivers will not.
These systems use sensors to monitor traffic conditions and identify potential hazards in front of a vehicle that could lead to a rear-end collision. If a danger is detected and the driver doesn’t take action, the AEB system will do it for them and thus avoid a car crash with the car in front.
Blind-spot detection
The fact that drivers didn’t have a complete view of their surroundings and could not see obstacles in their close proximity has always represented a major issue, being the root cause of many road accidents. That’s until blind spot detection solutions were developed.
Featuring radars, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras, these systems monitor the areas around a vehicle that are not visible in drivers’ rearview and side mirrors and alert them when vehicles and other objects enter these blind spots so they can avoid them on time and prevent swipes and crashes.
Cross-traffic alerts
Cross-traffic alerts are another handy feature that assists drivers when they’re backing up their vehicles, being particularly useful in busy parking lots or narrow spaces, where the risk of hitting another vehicle while pulling out is high.
Like other similar systems, cross-traffic alerts also incorporate sensors that screen the area behind the car and activate when the vehicle is in reverse. If they detect another automobile, a cyclist, or a pedestrian moving in this area, the system alerts the driver immediately. When combined with rear automatic emergency braking (AEB), cross-traffic alerts are able to reduce backing crashes by up to 78%.
Lane assist
Also known as lane keep assist, this innovative solution has been created to keep vehicles in the right lane, just as the name suggests. The system uses cameras that spot lane markings on the road and keep track of a vehicle’s position within its lane. If the vehicle drifts to one side without the driver using the turn signals, the lane assistant activates and acts as a trusted co-pilot that gently steers the vehicle back into its lane. With lane keep assist, it’s like having another pair of eyes that you can rely on when you’re feeling tired, and the risk of drifting out of your lane unintentionally increases.
Automatic high beams
Switching between high-beam and low beam headlights is something that was done manually before the invention of automatic high beams, which represented an inconvenience and a potential hazard for drivers. With the introduction of automatic high beams, drivers no longer need to worry about turning their high beams on and off, as the system can do it for them. This involves a combination of sensors and cameras that determine when high beams are required and activate/deactivate them automatically so drivers can benefit from better nighttime visibility.
Smart speed control
Speed is a major contributing factor to car collisions, being involved in almost 30% of all fatal crashes. Therefore, any feature that can help drivers maintain adequate speed is a welcome addition. That’s exactly the purpose of smart speed control, a cutting-edge system that employs cameras and sensors to monitor and manage a car’s speed. Smart speed control tracks the speed at which the vehicle is going and takes into account the distance of the cars in front of it, automatically adjusting the driving speed to maintain a safe gap. The smart speed control can be a real lifesaver on the highways and a stress reliever in congested traffic.
These safety features are but a few examples of how technological advances are making the roads safer and the driving experience more pleasant, and gives us hope that one day, we’ll be able to hit the road in complete safety.