Car accidents are unforeseen mishaps that can adversely affect automobile/s and people involved. They can critically impact one or more automobiles, people, or structures. Car accidents are often referred to as traffic accidents, auto accidents, road accidents, road traffic accidents or RTA’s. RTA’s are reported to have caused thousands of fatalities and hundreds of thousands of disabilities each year. According to 2002 statistics, an estimated one million people were killed every year in car accidents, worldwide.
Collisions can occur with other automobiles and vehicles, with pedestrians and with stationary structures or objects, such as trees or road signs. In a collision between two cars, the occupants of a car with the lower mass are likely to suffer the greater damage.
Safety Technology in Your Car That can Save Your Life
Majority of these car crashes/accidents are avoidable and car makers are spending huge fortunes trying to invent foolproof safety systems that alert the driver of road hazards by modifying his distracted driving that can be otherwise dangerous to himself and to others on the road.
Some of the latest safety technology systems that can prevent you from getting into an accident are as the following:
- The Drowsiness detector system: The drowsiness detector system has series of sensors and they continuously monitor different parameters in the driver’s body to detect drowsiness in him. If the attention assist detects drowsiness a ‘Time for a rest’ message appears on the dashboard and a bell is sounded to alert the driver of his drowsiness
- The Blind-spot detection system: The blind-spot detection system is an extension of the radar technology that alerts the driver to a vehicle in his blind spot. Blind-spot detection alerts the driver by illuminating an icon in the side view mirror. It also sounds a chime
- The Collision Warning with Brake Assist system: The collision warning with brake assist system is an adaptive cruise control that helps a driver in avoiding rear-end collision. The radar sensors in this collision warning system with brake assist detects slower-moving vehicles ahead, and sends a visual signal and an audible warning to alert the driver. If the driver fails to react quickly enough, the system activates brakes automatically
- The Heads-Up Display Enhanced system: A next-generation heads-up display system is now being developed which combines the use of navigation, night vision and lasers to illuminate the road in low visibility. Infrared cameras in the vehicle locate the edge of the road, highlights animals, pedestrians or speed limit signs and lasers images onto the windshield
- Inflatable Seat Belts: Inflatable seat belts aim at protecting rear-seat occupants better. When crash sensors detect an impact, an air bag inside the seat belt gets filled with cold compressed air and bursts through the belt fabric. This way the inflatable seat belts help distribute the force over a wider area, over the passenger’s torso to reduce the impact
- The= Lane Keeping Assist system: The lane keeping assist system keeps drivers from drifting into the next lane. A camera inside the front windshield recognizes lane markings and if it detects any lane departure the steering wheel vibrates to alert the drive
- The Pedestrian Detection system: A radar system warns drivers if it detects a pedestrian in front of the car, and automatically brakes if the driver fails to respond quickly enough. It first sounds an alert along with flashes of light in the windshield’s head-up display. It can avoid a collision with pedestrians at speeds up to about 22 mph. At higher speeds, this radar system can remarkably minimize the severity of the impact
- The Traffic Jam Cam: The traffic jam cam is a mobile application available on iTunes for around three dollars as hand-held portable device but will be integrated directly into vehicles soon. The traffic jam cam lets users see current traffic conditions on highways and major roadways directly unlike the erstwhile time-delayed radio traffic reports
- The Rear Traffic Crossing system: Large vehicles can block the view of a driver when he is reversing from a parking lot. This rear traffic crossing system is activated any time a car is in reverse and alerts the driver of traffic crossing behind the vehicle. This rear traffic crossing system uses illuminated icons on the side view mirror and sounds a chime too
- The Wrong Way Driver: Through the car’s navigation system, this safety technology sends alerts by sound and optical warnings if it detects that a driver is about to join a road in a wrong direction. If the motorist fails to heed the alerts, it warns the other drivers of the potential danger. This safety technology accomplishes this task through a map on their navigation systems via a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication system
If you install some or all of this safety technology in your car, you can always arrive at your destination safe. However, the best safety technology still is the good old habit of safe driving.