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334-333-3333Vehicle safety and design features have improved drastically over the last several decades. Modern vehicles are more fuel-efficient, are generally more comfortable, and, most importantly, have more safety features than older vehicles.
Beneficial safety features like blind-spot and lane departure warning systems can reduce the number of accidents on Alabama roads. They can also reduce the severity of injuries you may suffer if you experience a collision. Explore why modern vehicles are safer than older models and which features you can use to keep yourself and other drivers safe.
In past decades, hundreds of pounds of metal in a car’s body and a sturdy bumper were considered adequate safety features for vehicles. While these features may offer some protection for riders from the impact of a collision, they don’t help prevent accidents in the first place. In contrast, modern vehicle safety features address the cause of accidents rather than only dealing with the aftermath.
Blind Spot Warning Systems (BSWS) are designed to improve safety while driving by alerting drivers to vehicles in their blind spots. BSWS uses sensors to detect other vehicles and provide the driver with visual and/or auditory warnings.
Additionally, some BSWS are equipped with automated systems to help drivers avoid or mitigate collisions, such as lane-change assist features. While BSWS can be beneficial, there are also some potential drawbacks.
For example, if a driver becomes overly reliant on the system, they may not pay as much attention to their surroundings. Furthermore, false positives can occur if the system misidentifies an object as a vehicle, leading to unnecessary anxiety or distraction.
Despite these potential issues, BSWS can help make roads safer for everyone by reducing the likelihood of blind spot collisions.
Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) are designed to help drivers stay within their lane and avoid accidents from swerving into other drivers. The system uses sensors to detect the lane markings on the road and issue a warning if the vehicle starts to drift out of its lane. Many LDWS also include automatic steering corrections to help keep the car on course.
While LDWS can be beneficial in preventing accidents, they are not foolproof. Drivers may still drift out of their lane even with a warning, and the system may not always provide an accurate road reading.
In addition, LDWS does not work in all weather or lighting conditions. However, improvements are constantly being made in the underlying technology, and LDWS manufacturers promise reliability increases in the coming years.
Automatic braking systems use sensors to detect potential hazards on the road and then automatically apply the brakes if necessary. While automated braking systems are not yet widespread, they are rapidly gaining popularity, and many new vehicles now come equipped with them.
Research shows that automatic braking systems reduce front impact collisions by 27% and rear-end collisions by 43%.
In addition to significantly reducing accidents, automatic braking systems can also help reduce the severity of accidents. By automatically applying the brakes, these systems can help prevent or mitigate head-on collisions, which often result in serious injuries or fatalities.
Telematics is a system that uses wireless technology to collect and transmit data about a vehicle’s movements and status. Telematics systems are becoming increasingly common in cars, offering drivers and car manufacturers many benefits.
Telematics can improve safety on the road by monitoring a driver’s speed and location and providing alerts if the driver is straying off course. Additionally, telematics systems can automatically call for help in an accident, improving an injured victim’s chances of receiving timely medical attention.
In recent years, the implementation and installation of multiple airbags, a design feature that effectively reduces collision injuries, are now standard equipment in most new cars.
Using stronger and lighter materials in vehicle construction helps absorb impact energy and reduce the risk of injury to occupants. These lightweight materials help designers create crumple zones, which absorb kinetic energy during a collision, keeping vehicle passengers safe from the brunt of the crash.
Despite modern safety features, vehicle collisions still pose a significant threat to the well-being of Alabama drivers. Even if you drive a car with all the available safety features, you may get into an accident with a negligent driver who fails to use their safety features or drives an older car.
If you’ve been in a motor vehicle accident, contact a Montgomery car accident lawyer from The Vance Law Firm to learn your legal options. We can review your case and help you seek compensation to help you recover and pay for your accident-related expenses after a collision.
Call The Vance Law Firm today to schedule a free consultation regarding your car accident case.
