Negligent drivers are often the cause of serious car accidents that result in catastrophic injury. Car manufacturers have developed and improved car technology and features to prevent collisions and protect the safety of drivers and passengers on the road, but are new features enough to save lives and prevent catastrophic injury?
Rising populations and unstable infrastructure in California metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Roseville consistently rank in the top cities with the most serious car accidents per capita. San Bernardino County is rated the second in the country for the county with the most accident-related fatalities. And according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for people aged 5–54.
An article in Forbes Advisor explores the advantages of modern car safety features and their effectiveness in preventing serious car accidents, finding that modern safety features can potentially lower not only the number of catastrophic accidents but decrease the severity of injuries. If you are in the market for a new vehicle in 2023, here are some car safety features to look for in your vehicle:
New Vehicle Safety Technology to Consider
In previous years, crash avoidance technology was only available on high-end, luxury model vehicles. But these advanced safety features are now included in many newer models. These new systems, installed on the dashboard or chassis, can help make everyone’s commute a little safer and less stressful.
Adaptive Headlights: These headlights will shift to match the direction that you’re driving. They’re great for improving visibility around curved roads.
Door Exit Warning: If you live, work, or often travel through busy areas, you are always on the lookout for parked cars opening their doors – or vice versa, making sure it’s safe to get out of your parked car. The door exit warning system utilizes sensors behind the corners of the rear bumper to alert the driver of any approaching cars or cyclists.
Drowsiness Detection System: This system is similar to the Lane Departure Warning system as it monitors how often the vehicle drifts out of the lane. It also detects changes in driving patterns that are often associated with fatigue or microsleep (dozing off momentarily). Advanced drowsiness detection systems can even monitor the driver’s face for signs of drowsiness.
Forward Collision Warning: These sensors monitor the distance between vehicles and the speed they are traveling. If the system senses an impending crash, it will alert the driver with visual cues, warning sounds, and physical sensations (ex: the steering wheel will vibrate).
Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking: These systems detect pedestrians or bicyclists outside the vehicle, and then alert the driver with visual or auditory cues. If the driver does not respond quickly enough, the emergency system will automatically apply the brakes.
Rear Cross-traffic Alert: This warning system incorporates sensors near the bumper that detect cars, cyclists, or pedestrians that are passing behind the vehicle. If there’s a risk of collision, the system will flash a warning to the driver.
Traffic Sign Recognition:When you’re paying attention to the roadway, your passengers, and the vehicles around you, it can be easy to miss a traffic or speed limit sign. This is especially true if you’re traveling at night. Using small cameras in the windshield, traffic sign recognition systems constantly scan the road and relay the relevant information on the vehicle’s dash or head-up display.
Conclusive Findings and IIHS Safety Rankings
A study completed by Carnegie Mellon University concludes that the combination of vehicle crash avoidance technologies reduces crash frequency by about 3.5%,” and can, “collectively prevent up to 1.6 million crashes each year including 7200 fatal crashes.”
If you’re interested in learning more about these new features and how they improve driver safety, visit theInsurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) website. Each year, the IIHS evaluates the new model year vehicles and ranks them based on their performance in overlap front tests, updated side tests, headlights, and front crash prevention.
Regardless of the use of safety features, when a car accident does occur that results in catastrophic injury, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to help you seek justice and explore all options available for compensation.
Contact the offices of Bostwick & Peterson, award-winner catastrophic injury attorneys today to discuss the details of your case.