Automobiles have become much safer over the last decade or so as modern technologies have been integrated into them. Among the most common types of safety features include automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping tools and headlights that can adjust their brightness automatically. These and other tools work together to reduce your risk of an accident or at least the severity of any crash you might be in.
Some Cars Features Hands-Free Driving
Another key feature that might be available in your car today is a hands-free driving mode. When activated, the car will navigate the road for you, which means that it will adjust its speed, make lane changes or take other steps to reduce your mental load during a trip. Although you must generally remain alert while the car is in motion, it can reduce the risk of a crash related to human error.
Backup and Cross-Traffic Cameras Are Underrated
A significant number of accidents occur while backing out of a garage or a parking spot at the grocery store. Although many such accidents occur at low speeds and result in minimal damage or bodily injury, this is not always the case. A backup camera or cross-traffic system allows the vehicle to alert you when there is a person or object in your path while traveling in reverse. Ultimately, you can stop or slow your car before hitting another vehicle or accidentally running over a child or pedestrian. With over 1,200 pedestrians killed in California in 2022, a safety feature like this could help reduce the number of those tragedies.
How Adaptive Cruise Control Helps You
Adaptive cruise control helps you maintain a healthy following distance from other vehicles on a road or highway. As the vehicle in front of yours speeds up or slows down, your vehicle will change its speed in response. This can be especially helpful in bumper-to-bumper traffic where it can be hard to judge how fast you can go without causing a wreck. It can also be helpful during rush hour when it can be difficult to judge how fast you need to go to keep up with traffic.
You’re Still the Most Important Safety Feature
It’s important to understand that you can’t rely on technology alone to reduce your risk of a crash. Your car can’t completely mitigate the dangers of drunk or distracted driving or override your decision to make a lane change when it wasn’t safe to do so. It’s also worth noting that you can’t blame your vehicle for an accident if a safety feature fails or fails to activate in time. Therefore, you still need to be alert and follow the rules of the road at all times to ensure your safety and the safety of others.
Modern vehicles will likely only become safer over the next several years and decades as automakers try to meet lofty accident prevention goals. It’s possible that you’ll actually see hands-free driving technology improve and become more ubiquitous. However, until that time comes, be sure to only drive when you’re sober and alert as it guarantees that you’ll be ready to take action even if your car isn’t.
