Advanced Safety Tech You Need For Your Next Car

Even with all the modern advancements in vehicle technology, auto accidents still remain one of the leading causes of death and serious injury in the United States. That is why automakers and technology companies are working even harder to produce new tools and safety features to make automobiles as safe as possible. By improving on existing technologies and integrating new features that help drivers avoid accidents all together, the goal is to make travel by automobile far safer than it is today.

If you are in the market for a new car, then keep reading as we have put together a list of some of the new advanced safety tech that is being added to vehicles that you need in your next car. We will explain what the technology is and how it can help save lives and prevent accidents when used properly on your next road trip or outing.

Early Warning Technology

We all know about distracted driving and how often it can cause accidents. While states and municipalities have done a lot to reduce distractions while driving, it is impossible to catch everything. So, to counter the distractions that are present while driving, auto manufacturers have decided to go a different direction. By giving drivers more warning and time to respond to a potential accident, the goal is to avoid more accidents, rather than trying to eliminate every possible distraction on the road.

Early warning technology is one of the largest parts of the new innovations for automotive safety technology. For example, forward facing sensors on the car allow it to detect oncoming hazards in real time and alert them faster than by relying on just the driver’s reflexes alone. This can help in those situations where the driver is distracted by an unavoidable situation or in cases where the unexpected happens, such as animals and people darting into the road. Right now the technology is mostly used when driving behind other vehicles to prevent rear end collisions, but technology experts are quickly expanding the range of uses for this technology to include all types of collisions.

Blind Spot Warning Systems

Another major area that has seen improvement is in covering a vehicle’s blind spots. Every vehicle has at least some sort of blind spot due to visibility around the vehicle and the size of other vehicles. For most passenger vehicles, it is now possible to have them come equipped with a blind spot warning system.

This is a computerized system that electronically monitors the blind spots of a vehicle for other vehicles that may be changing lanes or moving into one of those blind spots. The audible alert allows drivers to maneuver out of the way if necessary or just ensures that they are aware of the presence of the other vehicle. This technology is currently already in use on most passenger vehicles, but has serious applications for larger vehicles, including commercial vehicles to help keep other drivers safe.

Automatic Braking

Automatic braking is a system that has been around longer than some of the other technologies and has saved countless lives. What the system does is use proximity sensor technology and the rear back up camera to avoid collisions with vehicles and obstacles by applying the brakes for the driver.

Originally the system would apply the brakes when a person was backing up and a hazard was detected. This has now improved to provide protection and apply braking for forward collisions, such as coming up on a vehicle that is stopped or slowed, as well as automatic braking to help a vehicle that is trying to shift lanes, but is blocked by an oncoming vehicle. The system can prevent an accident or mitigate the damage from a crash by braking and reducing the impact force.  The uses for this technology continue to grow and it is even now able to assist with braking when using cruise control and when cornering in less than ideal driving conditions, making it an important addition to any vehicle.

Driver Assistance Technology

This last type of technology is one that has taken great leaps thanks to the use of bluetooth technology and networking.

Driver assistance technology essentially takes over certain vehicle functions when it feels that the driver is in danger or if the driver ignores warnings given by the vehicle. The most basic type of driver assistance is keeping the vehicle center in the lane if it starts to drift. Sometimes lane drifting happens as a result of weather and other conditions and sometimes it is driver negligence. With driver assistance technology, the vehicle will stay in the center of the lane unless the driver manually changes to another lane when it is safe to do so.

This assistance also carries over when trying to change lanes. The vehicle will alert the driver if changing lanes is not possible and slow the vehicle down to avoid a potential collision. This is called lane keeping assistance. This way drivers can avoid collisions from changing lanes as the car will help them know when a lane change is safe.

One other piece of useful assistance is adaptive brightness for headlights. This can help drivers in poor weather conditions and at night to maintain the optimal level of brightness on their headlights to be able to see properly, without endangering themselves or other drivers with the lights.

Limitations of Advanced Safety Technologies in Preventing Car Accidents

Despite the increasing number of advanced safety technologies integrated into vehicles, it is essential to remember that accidents can still happen. While these technologies can aid in accident avoidance and mitigation, they cannot prevent all accidents from occurring. This is because driving is a highly dynamic and unpredictable activity that involves various external factors such as weather, road conditions, and human errors. It’s crucial to exercise caution and remain attentive while driving, even with the latest safety features equipped in your vehicle.

Drivers cannot rely solely on these technologies to keep them safe on the road, but rather consider them as an additional layer of protection that can assist them in avoiding accidents or reducing their impact. If you do find yourself in an accident, it’s important to consult with a qualified car accident lawyer. According to Roberts & Spiegel, an attorney can help you deal with the other party and their insurance to recover compensation.

Conclusion

As you can see from this post, there are more ways than ever to protect yourself while driving and the companies behind these great technologies are constantly making advancements so that drivers can get to and from where they need to go safely. Since we cannot plan for everything that can happen while on the road, having a vehicle with the right safety features is the next best thing.

The next time you are on the lot looking to buy a new car, consider mentioning some of these technologies to the salesperson and ask them questions about vehicle safety so that you know the next car you buy is as safe as possible. Thanks to the internet and computer technology it is now possible to know about a potential road hazard or problem situation before you end up in an accident, so it is always best to take advantage of these features if you can.

We hope this post has armed you with valuable information when purchasing your next vehicle.