Seat belts became commonplace in consumer vehicles after 1958. They progressed rapidly from lap belts to lap and shoulder belts, and fatalities from car accidents plummeted as more and more people buckled up. As safety features were added, airbags, traction control, and antilock brakes became standard.
But what have auto manufacturers done for us lately? What are the latest driver-safety technologies that are already here or on the way? Following are a few descriptions of some of the most impressive.
- Adaptive cruise control ensures that you won’t follow the car in front of you too closely as it senses the position of the vehicle ahead of you and adjusts your speed as needed. Some of these systems can even incorporate emergency braking if the car you are following slows or stops abruptly, which brings us to the following item.
- Automatic emergency braking enables your car to sense a potential collision and start braking automatically if you are not able to react in time.
- Adaptive headlights can help you see better as well as make you more visible to oncoming drivers on curved roads at night. As you turn, the lights also adjust to better illuminate the road you are following.
- Blind spot detection uses lights in your door side-view mirrors to alert you of vehicles coming up alongside you.
- Two more cutting-edge safety features that will be standard on most cars within the next few years include facial recognition software and WiFi-connected vehicles. Facial recognition software will be able to sound a buzzer when it senses that you are not paying attention because of tiredness or other distractions. WiFi-connected vehicles will be able to communicate with one another by sharing information like speed, location, position, and brake status. Cars with this technology will be able to warn each other about accidents, slowdowns, incidents of unsafe driving, and even bad weather conditions ahead.
Whether your car has all the latest safety bells and whistles or is a bit more stripped-down, you can make the most of the safety features it has by having your car inspected and serviced regularly. We at Nordgren Automotive are serious about keeping you and your family safe on the roads. Give us a call to schedule an appointment at (763) 703-1365.