Cars have come a long way in terms of technology, as vehicles didn’t even have seat belts just 47 years ago. Now, cars are equipped with so many technologies that help save lives in the event of auto accidents. Here are a few of the technologies that have added in preventing fatalities in many collisions.
- Seat belts are the best safety device to prevent fatalities in crashes. This is because seat belts are designed to keep occupants within the car and limit their movement—helping to prevent them from coming in contact with surfaces such as the dashboard or other interior surfaces. The three-point seat belts of present day have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, which is why auto manufacturers are also required to place them in the rear seat—even the center rear seat—to help save the lives of passengers.
- Air bags are the next most important technology to help reduce an occupant’s chance of dying in a collision. Frontal air bags, combined with seat belts, are usually effective in keeping drivers and passengers from hitting their heads and upper bodies on the dash or car’s interior. About 43,000 lives have been saved by frontal air bags, according to an estimate by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is safety technology that causes the car to apply the brakes to individual wheels if it senses the vehicle is about the lose traction. This safety feature has been required in all new light vehicles since 2009, and is thought to be highly effective in avoiding rollover crashes. Although this is a newer technology, it is estimated to have saved thousands of lives.
- Automatic Emergency Braking is a new technology that helps drivers avoid crashes—especially rear-end collisions—by applying the brakes. Vehicles equipped with this technology are able to apply the brakes if it can sense that a wreck is imminent.
- Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications is the newest crash avoidance technology that allows cars to communicate with nearby vehicles and warn drivers of dangerous situations. Through this communication, it is believed that thousands of people will avoid potentially fatal collisions
- Blind spot warning systems help notify drivers who signal to change lanes that another car is in their blind spot. This technology is also new, but should help drivers avoid many collisions.
Although these technologies, as well many others, are wonderful in helping to keep people safe in Florida auto accidents, some technologies have failed or have been defective—causing more harm than good. If you have been injured as a result of a defective car technology that was supposed to keep you safe, contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 866-9 HELP NOW or (954) 677-0155(954) 677-0155 for a free consultation with a South Florida auto accident attorney and learn about your legal rights.
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