Cars of today are safer than ever. Technology has pushed the needle of safety forward with new car tech that allows drivers to feel more secure out on the road.
The early days of the automotive industry didn’t bring a lot of safety to the mix. If you can imagine it, some of the early models didn’t even have lap-restraint safety belts. Today, we not only have three-point seatbelts, but we also have airbags, crumple zones, and some of the most advanced tech ever created to help keep us safer out on the road. Here are some of the newest items that are made to keep you out of trouble.
Adaptive Cruise Control Has Come a Long Way
The original form of cruise control wasn’t a safety feature. It was a feature meant to give drivers a break while maintaining a set speed. Today’s vehicles have Adaptive Cruise Control that senses the vehicles ahead and slows to match them. In some cars, this feature even has the ability to stop the vehicle and continue on after a stop. You’ll feel much safer using this feature than the original form of cruise control.
Automatic Emergency Braking Can Keep You Out of Trouble
Parents carrying children from one place to another have always been a little distracted. Drives of today are even more distracted by personal electronic devices and infotainment screens. This is where Automatic Emergency Braking comes into the picture. This system starts by sounding an alarm when the vehicle detects a potential collision. If the driver doesn’t take any evasive actions, the car will slow and come to a stop to either avoid a collision or at least lessen the seriousness of the crash.
Adaptive Headlights Allow Us to See Better At Night
One of the best items of new car tech for more safety on the road is a set of adaptive headlights. These headlights can shine the light in the direction that the wheels are turning when you go around a corner. This allows you to see more of what’s on the other side of the turn to ensure you don’t hit something. This safety feature is extremely helpful in rural areas where there aren’t many streetlights along the road.
Many Cars Have Forward Collision Warning
Being warned of a possible collision at the front of your vehicle is extremely helpful. This feature is probably most responsible for decreasing the number of fender benders that occur in parking lots. The Forward Collision Warning Feature warns you with sounds when you’re getting too close to other vehicles or items that could create a collision for your vehicle. With this feature in your car, you’ll be able to avoid an accident that could ruin your day.
Blind-Spot Warning Keeps You Safer on the Road
Blind-spot warning is one of the best new car tech items to improve your safety while driving. The blind area of your vehicle is that space in the next lane that you can’t see using your side mirrors. In many cars, this feature simply shines a light next to the side mirror to help you know there’s a car in your blind zone. If you begin to move toward a vehicle while the warning light is on, you’ll hear an audible warning, and in some cases, your vehicle will prevent you from crossing over into the traffic sitting in the next lane.
Lane Departure Warning Keeps You In Your Lane
The cameras and sensors on your vehicle watch the lane markings and offer a warning when you get close to the lane lines. Some cars do this by vibrating the steering wheel; others have lane keeping pushing the car back toward the center of the lane. This is another feature that helps when you’re getting distracted and can ensure you don’t cross the line and end up in the wrong lane or off the road.
The Use of a Rearview Camera is Now a Requirement
As of a few years ago, all new vehicles sold must have a rearview camera installed in them. This is one of the best new car tech items that has pushed safety forward. This feature is pretty simple. When you put the car in reverse, the camera view shows on the infotainment screen. This system uses guidelines and sensors to help you stay out of trouble and avoid backing into a pedestrian or another car.
Pedestrian Detection is Extremely Important
Can you imagine the terrible feeling you would experience if you hit a person with your car? The early developments of the most camera and sensor-based safety systems didn’t account for smaller obstacles, such as animals and pedestrians. Today the system we have accounts for people, pets, and other obstacles in your path. In some vehicles, this system is made to detect pedestrians in the front and rear of the vehicle, while others only cover the rear as part of the rearview camera system.
Driver Drowsiness Monitoring and Attention Monitoring Keeps You More Alert
Drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel and ended up in an accident they don’t walk away from. Many automakers have now added driver drowsiness monitoring to their vehicles. This system uses a camera to look at your eyes and head position, while others use steering-wheel-mounted sensors to identify when you should take a break from driving for a little bit. You’ll be alerted, often with an icon on the screen that looks like a cup of coffee. In some cases, cars now slow and pull to the shoulder if the driver doesn’t appear more alert right away.
Head-Up Displays Make Things Safer on the Road
If there’s a feature that displays the information you need in the same field of vision you’re using to focus on the road to drive, you’ll want to have it in your vehicle. This feature is called a Head-Up Display, and you can select the information displayed on this system. Some of these items project information on the dashboard in front of you, while others have a transparent screen above the steering wheel to show the required data and allow you to focus on the road ahead.
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