What you’ll learn from this article:
- Improved safety features in cars have contributed to saving lives over the years.
- Notable safety features include on-demand emergency services, lane assist, automated emergency braking, blind spot detection, and pedestrian detection.
- While safety features enhance vehicle safety, drivers should not overly rely on technology.
As technology advances, so do the safety features offered in everyday products—and cars are no exception. From the period between 1960 and 2012, it is estimated that 600,000 lives were saved thanks to improved safety features in cars. As it’s now 2023 and the features available in vehicles today are even more advanced, even more lives have likely been saved.
To help drivers stay informed and safe on the roads, our team of Kentucky car accident attorneys has put together this guide on some of the most effective safety features in cars today.
What Are The Top Car Safety Features Available in Vehicles Today?
Since the 1960s, the federal government has been setting safety standards for new cars. As of today, all new cars come equipped with some level of advanced safety features, also referred to as advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Some of the most effective and useful car safety features available include:
1. On-Demand Emergency Services
If you’ve been in an accident, your injuries may prevent you from calling for help. Or you might not even have access to your phone after being in an accident. However, some new cars come equipped with automated emergency dialing services that can help in these situations. If you can’t make the call yourself, the car system can detect when there has been an accident and will contact 911 for you, ensuring emergency responders get to you as soon as possible.
2. Lane-Assist and Lane Departure Warnings
Lane-Keep-Assist is a system that can take over and make small adjustments to the vehicle’s position to ensure it is staying in the lane. In this same vein, the Lane-Departure Warning sends out an alert to the driver to let them know when the vehicle is veering out of the lane and needs to be corrected.
3. Automated Emergency Braking and Collision Warning
Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) is a system that utilizes cameras and radar to detect when the car is too close to another vehicle. When this happens, the system takes over and automatically applies the brakes. Collision Warning works similarly only instead of taking over, it simply sounds an alarm, alerting the driver that they need to apply the brakes so they don’t rear-end the car in front of them.
4. Blind Spot Detection
Similar to AEB, Blind Spot Detection systems use cameras to detect when something, typically another vehicle, is in the driver’s blind spot. When another vehicle has entered the blind spot, the system alerts the driver by displaying a warning light, letting them know that someone is in their blind spot in case they decide to change lanes.
5. Pedestrian Detection
This system also uses cameras to detect when pedestrians are walking in front of or behind the car. When this happens, more advanced systems will take over and apply the brakes, but some systems simply sound an alarm, such as a beeping noise, letting the driver know they need to hit the brakes so they don’t hit the pedestrian.
Do These Vehicle Safety Features Make Cars Safer?
Statistics show that car safety features do make vehicles safer. One study found that advanced vehicle safety features have the potential to prevent 62% of total traffic deaths each year. The same report shows that if trends continue, car safety features could also help prevent 1.69 million traffic accident injuries annually.
That said, technology is not foolproof and it is important that drivers do not become too reliant on technology to take care of everything for them. Even with advanced safety systems activated, it is important that drivers still pay attention while driving and follow traffic laws to avoid causing accidents.
Car Safety Features to Keep an Eye On In the Future
Car technology is constantly advancing, with new features becoming available every few years. Some exciting car safety features that are currently in the works that could make vehicles even safer in the future include:
- Augmented reality displays projecting information like speed, navigation, and alerts directly on the windshield
- Automatic adaptive headlights that shift the beam away from oncoming vehicles
- Driver monitoring that alerts drivers when they are distracted or falling asleep and need to refocus on the road
- Interior motion detection that will send alerts to the driver’s phone when someone, like a child or a pet, has been left in the car
McCoy & Sparks: Premier Personal Injury Attorneys in Central Kentucky
No matter how advanced cars get, accidents can still happen. If you or a loved one are injured in an accident and need help filing your personal injury claim, we are here to help.
At McCoy & Sparks, our team of attorneys has years of experience handling a wide range of car accident cases. We know what it takes to ensure you are awarded the full and fair settlement you deserve for your injuries and other potential damages.
You owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Make the right call to (844) 4KY-WINS for a risk-free consultation with one of our Kentucky car accident attorneys today.