Much of auto development is focused on safety. After all, in the United States alone, around 40,000 people lose their lives in auto accidents annually. The totals briefly dropped below 40,000 but have subsequently been on the rise. In other words, the roads have actually been getting more dangerous in recent years, resulting in a higher number of fatal accidents.
There are two sides to automotive safety technology. Older versions of tech focus on reducing the severity of injuries, which also helps lower the number of fatalities.
Airbags and seatbelts are two of the biggest examples of this type of safety tech. Car accidents are going to happen, but someone in a vehicle equipped with modern airbags and wearing their seatbelt at the time of the crash is much less likely to suffer fatal injuries than someone driving an older vehicle without airbags or neglecting to use their seatbelt.
Reducing the number of accidents
Newer types of automotive safety tech aim to keep people safe by reducing the number of accidents that occur overall.
Examples include blind-spot monitoring systems, collision warning systems, backup cameras, adaptive cruise control and automatic braking systems. For instance, some cars have sensors that can detect when traffic slows down ahead of the driver and can even apply the brakes automatically to avoid a rear-end accident. This is especially helpful in the age of distracted driving, as the sensors may notice issues on the road long before the driver does.
Both types of technology can be helpful, but accidents, injuries and even fatalities still happen every day. If you’ve been affected, be sure you know what legal steps you can take.