Car safety has improved dramatically in recent years with the creation of new innovative features to help prevent accidents and minimise the chance of injury and death. Read on to discover the top 10 safety innovations that are saving lives today.
1. Airbags – Designed to be part of an occupant restraining system when paired with seatbelts, the airbag is arguably the greatest innovation in car safety technology, saving more lives than any other. Airbags work by using sensor technology to inflate upon the moment of impact, cushioning the driver and passengers so as to prevent them from harming themselves on hard surfaces.
2. Side impact protection – This system works by modifying how car seats are secured in place. Rather than being bolted to the ground, rendering them inflexible in the event of an accident, instead they’re secured to transverse steel rails. This allows them to move and crush the centre console in the event of an accident, moving passengers and the driver away from the site of impact and lowering risk of injury.
3. ABS – Anti-lock braking systems help your vehicle to retain traction with the road while breaking, and prevents the breaks locking up to deter skidding. This improves the drivers’ control of the vehicle and has been shown to reduce stopping distances.
4. Crumple zones – Crumple zones are designed to evenly distribute the energy from an impact. The are usually present in the front of a vehicle to minimise the safety risks from head on collisions.
5. Electronic stability control – An electronic stability control can improve the stability of a vehicle by reducing skidding due to loss of traction. It works by applying pressure to the brakes on different wheels individually, to help counter oversteer and understeer.
6. Traction control – Traction control was originally developed for use in high-performance racing cars but has become widely used in the automobile industry. It has been used to improve traction on slippy surfaces and help drivers to corner more safely by restricting power to the wheels.
7. ISOfix/Latch car seats for children – ISO-fix or latch attachment points for car seats enable child safety seats to be quickly installed in vehicles. They ensure the seats are attached more securely than the previous seat belt attachment method.
8. Built-in breathalysers – A new system is coming which can only allow drivers to start their engine after passing a breathalyzer test. This system is designed to reduce the number of accidents from drunk drivers and has already been incorporated into some commercial vehicles in the US and UK.
9. Proximity sensors – If your spatial awareness is as weak as mine, you’ll benefit from proximity centres to assist you with reversing your vehicle and parking. These her proved to be hugely popular and come as standard with many new cars.
10. Drowsiness detectors – Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the major concerns raised by vehicle safety watchdogs. In response to this drowsiness, detectors have been designed which monitor eye movements to identify if you’re at risk of falling asleep and sound an alarm.
More than ever is being done to keep drivers and their passengers safe. While some features such as airbags and ABS are standard in every vehicle, in the future built-in breathalysers and drowsiness detectors could be just as popular.
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