Safety Features that Help You Avoid Accidents

Figures for traffic deaths fell by 1% in 2017, according to the National Safety Council, This drop is partly due to new standards and innovative safety features included with many new cars.

Many of them involve enhancing the driver’s vision and awareness of imperceptible hazards. Cars qualifying for top safety awards have braking systems, collision avoidance and high intensity discharge headlights that can all reduce the number of accidents and help save yours or someone else’s life.

Out of Sight

No-one wants to get involved in a crash as a car accident can change your life, even if it’s not your fault and you are fully compensated for the accident. Equally, no-one wants to cause death or injury to other road users and pedestrians, and new safety features can now help drivers be more aware of these external hazards.

From May 2018, all new cars are now required to be fitted with rear view cameras allowing the driver to see a clear picture of what is behind the car when reversing. In addition to automatic braking systems gradually being fitted as standard in all cars by 2022, up to 80% of new vehicles sold in 2018 are expected to come with a crash avoidance system. This consists of a radar and cameras covering a 20 meter radius around the car that can detect pedestrians and cyclists.

Remote Control

External weather conditions, blind spots and glare from headlights can hamper full visibility and control but the cause of many crashes starts inside the car. More than 1,000 car crashes a day are caused by distractions such as mobile phones or demanding passengers.

Honda’s new CabinWatch system lets parents observe kids via a camera and dashboard display to avoid constantly turning around to check on them. Once the kids are old enough to be in the driving seat, you might still want to have some control over their driving.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, teen drivers are three times more likely to crash than drivers aged 20 and older. In response, General Motors and Ford have introduced technology to allow parents to monitor their teenager’s driving even when they can’t watch over them in the car. They can set limits on speed, set warnings for exceeding limits and prevent other safety features like lane assist being disabled.

Car manufacturers are constantly having to match new driving technology with innovations to keep their cars safe. Systems that detect hazards and help drivers see beyond their normal range of vision without distraction all improve safety and reduce the number of accidents on the roads.