If you’ve ever been in an automobile accident, you’ll definitely want to make sure that it never happens again. Fortunately, technology is on your side – automobiles today are safer than ever before. The following are some of the most important car safety technologies on the market today.
First of all, airbags today are better than ever before. New technology allows airbags to gauge the size and weight of occupants, and deploy accordingly. Some airbags can even respond differently based on the speed of the vehicle during the crash. Airbags on the side and rear windows are also increasingly available, making many cars much safer in the event of an accident.
And while anti-lock brakes are an important advance, brake technology has taken another step forward with collision mitigation. This means that the car has sensors that can detect a potential collision. In these circumstances, the brakes may activate automatically or the car may apply additional pressure beyond what the driver applies to ensure that the car stops before colliding with another vehicle.
This new braking technology comes hand-in-hand with new cruise control systems. These new systems do a lot more than just allow you to maintain a constant speed. New cruise control systems can sense other vehicles and automatically make adjustments if traffic slows or comes to a sudden stop. The system may apply the brakes for you, and even make your seatbelt snugger if it anticipates a crash. Once the risk has passed, things return to normal, and your vehicle will once again attain its cruising speed. This is not only the kind of technology that keeps us safer; it also makes us wonder if an actual driver may not one day be completely superfluous!
The next technology advancement has to do with the ability to see what is around the car, and takes two forms. First, you have technology that will alert you when something is in your blind spot. For example, if you activate your left turn signal, your car may give a warning alarm to let you know that there’s a car there that you may not see. Although this technology isn’t available on every new model yet, it’s certainly something we’ll see more of in the future.
The second technology has to do with seeing what’s behind your vehicle, especially when you’re backing up. Hundreds of children are killed each year when they’re behind a car that backs up over them. These back-over deaths and injuries can be reduced by the use of real-time rear view cameras. Some cars also have sensors that will alert you to the presence of anything behind you when you’re backing up, so that you have extra protection even if you miss something on the camera view.
The final technology goes by many different names, including OnStar, Assist, and Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS). These are General Motors’, BMW’s and DaimlerChrysler’s names, respectively, for their emergency response systems. In the event of an accident, these systems can notify emergency services, turn on hazard lights, shut off the battery or fuel, turn on interior lighting, and unlock doors. Many of these systems can also put you in touch with a live operator who can help you with less serious, but nonetheless important, tasks, including unlocking your car if you’ve locked yourself out.
These are just some of the many ways that manufacturers are making cars safer. However, at least for now, the most important safety feature on any car can remains the careful driver sitting behind the wheel.
