Our cars are safer than ever before. In 2013, 32,719 people in the U.S. died in motor-vehicle accidents, a significant reduction from the 43,510
fatalities in 2005, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Part of the reason for this is our vehicles are becoming more connected and autonomous. There are several features that aim to reduce human intervention and predict an unforeseeable situation — such as a vehicle in the other lane cutting over abruptly causing a collision — to cause the car to react just in time. Here are a few of the most innovative connected safety features in cars that help make us safer drivers.
1. Lane-Keep Assist: Using cameras to monitor visible lane markings, lane-keep assist warns you if you’re drifting outside of the lane and then guides your car back into the lane.
2. Brake Assist: Nearly half of all drivers do not step on the brake quickly or with enough pressure to stop the vehicle in an
emergency, according to a Toyota study. Using radar and cameras, brake assist prevents collisions by analyzing how hard the driver is stepping on the brakes. If the system determines it’s a panic-stop situation, it automatically applies full braking force.
3. Adaptive Cruise Control: Adaptive cruise control, which operates with radar installed behind the grill of a vehicle, allows driverless vehicles to slow down or speed up automatically based on nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and objects.
4. Blind Zone Alert: Vehicle sensors can now detect objects in the blind spot so, when your blinker is on and you’re about to change lanes, the car can warn you with a beep or a flashing light on the side-view mirror. When you’re not trying to change lanes but something is in your blind spot, a warning light glows.
5. Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: A flashing light in your side mirror and audible beeps notify you when there’s a car on the right or left rear of the vehicle as you’re backing out of a space in a parking lot. Two sensors on the rear bumper detect movement on both sides of the car at a 120-degree angle. This is a much-needed feature because one in five car accidents occur in a parking lot, according to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association.
6. More Sophisticated Infotainment Systems: The infotainment systems in our cars are becoming more heavily integrated with our smart phones to make driving safer. Bluetooth calling has been around for a while, but now drivers can use voice commands to drive and perform a number of other functions, such as changing songs or sending texts and e-mails hands-free.
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