Road accidents are still a huge problem in the US, with more than 4.4 million people having received medical attention as a result of accidents in 2019 alone, according to the National Safety Council. To make matters worse, Americans are buying more cars than ever before thanks to low rates and cheap gas, which means that accidents could rise as more vehicles continue to join the roads. Fortunately, vehicle manufacturers are coming up with all sorts of new technologies aimed at dealing with this problem.
Preventing the occurrence of accidents
A lot of vehicle technologies have been introduced in the last two decades to prevent road accidents. For example, electronic stability control (ESC) does a great job of preventing vehicles from sliding out of control by applying brakes to individual wheels and reducing engine power. Blindspot detection/monitoring systems also ensure that drivers always know when other vehicles are close, even when they can’t see them on the side mirrors. Lane departure warning ensures that drivers stay in their lanes to avoid running off the road or colliding with other drivers. Driver monitoring systems like drowsiness detection can also ensure that the driver is in good condition to drive without endangering their safety or that of other road users.
Gathering evidence after an accident
Sometimes accidents are just unavoidable, even when you have the most advanced accident prevention tech. Thankfully, there are technologies that can help drivers know exactly what led to the accident so that they can seek justice if they were not at fault or take measures to avoid a repeat of the same. This information is also very helpful to personal injury attorneys and accident reconstructionists when determining the events that caused an accident, especially when those involved are not able to. For example, most new vehicles come with an Event Data Recorder (EDR) which can be compared to a black box in an airplane. Although it is not mandatory for new vehicles to have EDR in the US, the technology is essential as it captures key safety-related data in the moments before and during accidents, including vehicle speed, whether or not brakes were applied before the accident, whether or not the seat belts were fastened, and crash forces at the moment of impact.
Vehicle technology has evolved tremendously over the last two decades, but there’s still a long way to go. As people continue to come up with new technologies, the hope is that there will come a time when road accidents will be considered a thing of the past.
