Top 10 Newfangled Car Safety Technologies

author: Anthony   

Cutting-edge, postmodern, state-of-the-art safety technology has been a boon to the automotive industry. Already we see how beneficial these new advances are to the general public. Cars are better designed in the 21^st Century than at any time over the past 100 years. There are, of course, the all-important airbags and advances in steering and breaking. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Concierge dating back to 2002 even came with an integrated heart defibrillator.

What are the "Top 10" advances in car safety technology?

One important investigation sought to wade into the broad strategic architecture of this question and come up some definitive answers.

To begin, there is something called "tire-pressure monitoring." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration demanded that all vehicles over 10,000 pounds or less to be equipped with a tire-pressure monitoring system by the 2008 model year. For BMW, this is standard. Sensors on the wheels send a light signal to the dashboard if your tire pressure wanes. There are even run-flat tires that will allow you to drive even after a flat.

Next, there's the "adaptive cruise control/collision mitigation." This is a favorite of many tech enthusiasts as it keeps people safer, at least in theory. According to the above linked article; "Thanks to sensors and the use of radar, cruise control can now adjust the throttle and brakes to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you if there are changes in traffic speed or if a slowpoke cuts in. If the system senses a potential collision, it typically will brake hard and tighten the seatbelts."  That has to be a relief to those driving on the often hectic and dangerous freeways of cities such as Los Angeles.  

Third is the "blind-spot detection/side assist/collision warning." This has to rank as one of the most amazing innovations. This will alert to you to other vehicles or objects in your blind spot. And this is possible when you are driving or trying to park. For now, it's a short-range detection device – but that should change in the future.

Fourth is the "lane-departure warning/wake-you-up safety" assist-technology. This "judges an approaching vehicle's speed and distance to warn you of potential danger if you change lanes. It can also warn if it determines your car is wandering out of the lane."

Fifth is the "rollover prevention/mitigation. This goes far beyond the preparation systems of seatbelts and extended roll bars. If this system senses your vehicle is in a potential rollover situation, it will apply the brakes in an effort to minimize your chances of turning over. Jeep has experienced this problem on and off since World War II. DaimlerChrysler refers to this as the "Electronic Roll Mitigation." Ford, GM and Volvo also have their own versions.

Sixth involves the "occupant-sensitive/dual-stage airbags." These are "smart airbags" that can sense a difference in size and weight concerning passengers, or if they are sitting in a strange position, curled up for example while sleeping, or maybe reaching to change the radio station.

The rest of the list is filled out with the "emergency brake assist/collision mitigation," "adaptive headlights and/or night-vision assist" and "rearview camera." Finally there's the "emergency response," that will turn on interior lighting, unlock the doors, shut off the fuel and disconnect the battery terminal from the alternator. Perhaps most special of all is that "GM's OnStar and BMW Assist both alert their respective response centers of the accident and make crash details available to emergency personnel."

With all of this new technology available, and more on the way, now is a good time to get your car re-outfitted for increased safety for yourself and your loved ones.

Anthony

Anthony C. LoBaido is a journalist, ghostwriter and photographer. He has worked in 53 nations around the world – from Laos to Lebanon, from Belize to Botswana and from Nepal to Namibia. He also published a book on the Kurds. Some of LoBaido’s favorite stories include attending the British Army’s jungle warfare training in Central America, retracing Lawrence of Arabia’s World War I trek through Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, investigating the blood diamonds of Sierra Leone as popularized in the Leonardo DiCaprio film by the same name, meeting “CNN hero” Aki Ra at one of his landmine digs in northern Cambodia, working with Time Magazine’s “Hero of Asia” Lek Chailert on her crusade to assist injured and abused elephants in Southeast Asia, rescuing HIV/Aids throw-away babies in the garbage dumps of Cape Town, South Africa, as well as visiting a leper colony in Myanmar. LoBaido’s articles have been cited by Ivy League universities such as Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania. As a photographer, LoBaido made National Geographic in 2014.