Advancements in automotive safety technology

Technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. The motoring industry has seen a massive shift in the past few decades as technology has advanced rapidly. 

Automotive features have become standard in a lot of new cars and will continue to do so as the industry evolves. Here are some areas of exciting development in the safety arena. 

Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS)

Collision Avoidance Systems, or CAS, is a network of algorithms and sensors that are fitted to a car. They can detect potential hazards or obstacles and alert the driver, allowing them to avoid them. 

There are several different types of CAS including Forward Collision Warning where systems monitor your speed, the speed of the vehicle in front of you and the distance between you. The system will then warn you when the gap gets too small. 

Automatic Emergency Braking systems apply the brakes when it senses an object approaching. The amount of brake power applied varies between systems; some apply a small amount to allow the driver to step in and some continually pump the brakes until the vehicle comes to a stop. 

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a feature that many drivers will be familiar with. Simply put, this system keeps the car at a steady speed whilst also maintaining safe distances. Unlike regular cruise control, ACC reacts to the vehicles around you and automatically adjusts the speed. 

ACC is really beneficial to drivers. It helps to reduce driver fatigue, especially on long car journeys with lots of motorway driving. This helps to reduce the number of accidents, as 10-20% of all crashes are thought to be caused by tiredness. 

Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS)

Lane Departure Warning Systems are a part of the CAS family. Drifting across lanes is an incredibly dangerous thing to do and this system helps to prevent that from happening. 

A camera located near the review mirror will detect lane markings and will vibrate or make a noise if it cannot detect visible paint stripes and your indicator isn’t on. There is a limitation to this, however. The system does not recognise curbs, so it is less helpful in residential areas, for example. 

Passive safety features

Although there are a lot of computer-based systems to help with road safety, there are also some more traditional features on your car that help.

Tyres are a pretty essential part of the car. When you are looking to get them replaced, opt for a tyre that is made with the latest technology such as Avon tyres. 

Airbags are an invention that has been developing since the early 1950s and one that was initially considered quite radical. In modern times, airbags have been proven time and timeagain to help prevent serious injury in a crash. Side curtain airbags are designed to protect passengers in particular andprovide more of a covered protection.