auto safety technology

Published on: May 31, 2024

Autotech Could Help Prevent Car Accidents Involving Delivery Vans

Close to 40% of all car accidents involving delivery vans could be prevented if all vans came equipped with four important safety features.

According to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, auto tech could play a key role in helping reduce the number of auto accidents caused by delivery vans in the United States. Delivery vans have become a ubiquitous presence on American roads, and their number has only grown since the pandemic when online purchases became the norm. With the e-commerce boom not expected to slow down anytime soon, it is important for regulators and auto makers to act to make these vehicles safer for all motorists on the road.

Light vans were already a very popular vehicle in the United States, but their popularity has boomed since the pandemic. As many as 500,000 such vehicles are sold every year in the United States. The number of such vehicles simply boomed during the pandemic, spurred by a 43% increase in e-commerce rates.

Published on: February 12, 2024

Most Light Vehicles Now Come with Crucial Auto Accident Prevention Technology

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

All manufacturers of light vehicles who signed a 2016 agreement have fulfilled the commitment they made to equip their vehicles with crucial auto emergency braking systems to prevent car accidents.

The 2016 agreement was brought about by the efforts of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Twenty automakers participated in the agreement in which they agreed to substantially increase the number of manufactured vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking systems. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, between August and September 2023, additional automakers fulfilled their pledge of installing auto emergency braking systems on 95% of their light vehicles. With this, all 20 automakers that signed the agreement are in fulfilment of their commitment.

This means that a majority of the light vehicles that weigh less than 8,500 pounds on our roads will be equipped with this crucial car accident prevention technology. Some auto manufacturers, including Honda, now have close to 100% of their light vehicles equipped with auto emergency braking systems while other manufacturers have at least 95% of their light vehicles equipped with these car accident prevention systems.

Published on: April 23, 2022

Used Car Buyers Less Likely to be Aware of Accident Prevention Technologies

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The recent shortage of available cars for purchase has made it difficult for consumers to get their vehicle of choice. Ideally, one would want to get the safest car available to protect them in an accident. However, the average American driver is much more likely to be aware of all the features on his large screen television than the car uses to get around safely every day. This lack of knowledge is even more glaring among used car buyers who often have little knowledge about the accident prevention features that their car includes.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found recently in a study that buyers of used cars do not have all information about the technologies in their vehicles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a survey of drivers who had bought automobiles between 2016 and 2019. The survey group included more than 400 owners who had bought their new vehicles in a showroom, while the rest consisted of motorists who had bought used cars.

The survey found that buyers of both old and new cars were not completely aware of the safety features that their vehicle included. Just about two-thirds of new car buyers, for instance, were aware of information relating to the adaptive cruise control feature on their cars. This feature includes all the conveniences of traditional cruise control, but also slows and speeds up depending on the distance with the car ahead, thereby reducing the risk of a fender bender or accident. However, this feature needs to be turned on to be effective.

Published on: April 1, 2022

Adaptive Headlights Will Now be Allowed in the US

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Driving at night or in inclement weather in a car with poor visibility due to headlights can be very dangerous and a recipe for a car accident. However, for decades, federal laws have prevented high beam and low beam lights in a car from being operated at the same time. That comes to an end soon as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration scraps the old standard, thereby allowing adaptive headlights to become common in automobiles.

While most other types of car components and tech, including seat belts, have adapted and evolved over the years, headlight tech has remained the same. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 determined that both high beam and low beam lights could not be operated together. That prevented the widespread adoption of technology like adaptive headlights which are found in other countries that do not have such restrictions.

The technology consists of dozens of cameras that can provide different types of lighting depending on the road conditions and can direct the flow of the lighting with precision. That means that high beam and low beam lights can be deployed simultaneously to extend visibility in all directions without blinding other drivers.

Published on: January 4, 2022

In-Car Technology, Objects Major Factor in Car Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

New cars have an increasing array of gadgets and accessories. Although some may be designed to help keep a driver safe, in-car technology and objects inside the car may actually be much more likely to distract motorists than objects outside the car.

These new findings are part of recent research into distractions affecting motorists and their impact on safe driving. The study was published in Accident Analysis and Prevention Journal and focused on the types of distractions that motorists are most prone to, as well as the impact of distractions on different types of motorists, including teen as well as senior drivers.

The study found that in-car objects and technology as well as cell phones were a major distraction for motorists. External scenes were also a distraction to a certain extent. Teens and adult drivers were much more likely to be distracted by technology, other passengers as well as other types of distractions, compared to senior drivers. However, senior drivers seemed to suffer a greater impact from distractions. Older drivers may begin to suffer from slower reflexes and delayed response times as they age, and the impact of these can be exacerbated when the senior driver is also distracted by his cell phone or other technology. Both females as well as males were prone to distractions.

Published on: December 4, 2021

Technology Can help Protect Senior Drivers in Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Cars have become more and more technologically advanced each new year. While some drivers may find these new technologies difficult to navigate, learning how to use them may help prevent a serious accident and even a fatality. Certain types of auto technologies may be especially beneficial in helping protect senior motorists and passengers from serious injuries in an accident.

Auto safety technology like lane departure warning systems and forward collision warning systems that are available on many of the latest automobiles have been proven to be very effective in helping reduce accident and injury rates. From side airbags and back view cameras to newer seat belt systems in your car, technology works to protect both motorists and passengers against the risk of serious injuries in an accident.

Auto safety technologies may be even more beneficial in protecting senior passengers and motorists. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, studies have shown that side airbags that offer not just frontal but also head and torso protection may be even more beneficial in older drivers and passengers than younger drivers. The risk of an accident-related fatality for front seat passengers above the age of 70 dropped by 45 percent, compared to a rate of 30 percent for younger drivers, indicating that older passengers and motorists may especially benefit from these systems.

Published on: October 5, 2021

Auto Tech Could Significantly Reduce Teen Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Teen drivers have some of the highest accident risks. When a teenager is driving a car that is equipped with the latest safety tech, however, those accident risks reduce significantly.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a study on the effectiveness of crash avoidance technologies and other safety systems on the accident risks of teen motorists. The study found that these technologies, if mandated on all automobiles, could prevent as many as 75% of all accidents involving teen motorists. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study results show that while it is not possible to reduce teen accident rates by 100%, it is possible to significantly reduce the risks of teen motorists being involved in accidents by getting them cars that are equipped with lane departure warning systems, forward collision avoidance systems and other car safety technologies.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that teen motorists have a risk of being involved in accidents that is as much as four times higher than for adult drivers. There are several reasons for those higher accident risks. Teen motorists have fewer years of experience successfully navigating traffic and crash risks. Additionally, teen motorists are more likely to be impulsive and may lack the critical judgment and reasoning skills that are necessary to avoid accidents. Teens are also more likely to be susceptible to crashes involving drunk driving and speeding. Passengers in the car also constitute a huge distraction for a teen motorist. All these factors combined significantly increase teen motorist crash risks.

Published on: August 18, 2020

Auto Technology Alone May Not Be Sufficient to Prevent Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Self-driving cars are being held up as the way of the future, but may not be able to prevent all types of accidents, especially the majority of accidents that can be linked to driver error. Those findings came from a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

According to the researchers, auto safety design and advancements in technology will help self-driving vehicles identify and avoid many of the hazards that drivers are susceptible to, but this ability, by itself, would not be sufficient to prevent the majority of accidents that occur on American roads.

The data for the study came from the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey. The researchers identified accident factors that were specifically linked to driver error, and categorised these accidents into 5 types.

Published on: June 18, 2019

Audible Seatbelt Reminders Could Save 1500 Lives in Accidents Annually

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

We all know the campaign “Click It or Ticket” to encourage all people in passenger vehicles to wear their seatbelts.

The good news is that, nationwide, seatbelt use is at commendable highs. In 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use across the country was as high as 89.6 percent. In 2017, Georgia’s seatbelt usage rate was an impressive 96 percent.

However, even with the high rate of seatbelt use, there were still more than 37,000 people killed in motor vehicle accidents in 201. Of this number, as many as 47 percent of these fatalities were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. This goes to show that there is still room for improvement in seatbelt use among car riders.

Published on: June 30, 2018

Auto Technology Would Help Reduce Motorcycle Fatalities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Vehicle safety technology and crash prevention systems not only save motorist lives, but they also help prevent fatal motorcycle accidents. As the roads in Atlanta get more and more crowded, the number of motorcycles to passenger vehicles will also continue to rise which will only increase the risk of serious accidents and injuries if both motorists are not fully alert and paying attention to their surroundings.

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 8,000 motorcycle accidents every year could be prevented if more passenger vehicles came equipped with lane maintenance systems, front collision prevention systems, and other devices that are designed to identify motorcycles in their path.

Many of these crash avoidance systems are currently available on several models of cars, SUVs and pickups. There are different types of these systems available, but they generally work using devices like cameras and sensors to look out for motorcycles in the environment, and to intervene if the driver fails to take action to prevent an accident.