Heading into the new decade, 2020 brings amazing new technology into consumer vehicles. Aside from all of the neat entertainment options and better gas mileage, the ability of a vehicle to ensure your safety on the road is greater than ever before. Here are top new car safety features of 2020.
Pre-Collision Alerts and Braking
One of the most popular safety systems hitting the market en masse is the ability to warn drivers of potential collisions. In some models, the vehicle can even apply the brakes for you. Previously only available on high-end models, this technology is entering a more affordable realm.
These systems rely o a series of cameras and sensors that make the vehicle “aware” of its surroundings. In tests, it’s proven effective for avoiding collisions with other vehicles as well as obstacles and civilians. Plus, this technology alerts drivers when they are drifting out of their lane.
Radar Collision Mitigation
Similar to the technology above, a radar-based version offers the same safety features in the form of alerts of automatic braking. This version ditches the cameras in favor of radar technology, like that of a plane or boat.
Automatic Parking
Have you ever forgotten to shift your vehicle into park? As it turns out, several drivers have watched in horror as their car drifts away after getting out of the driver’s seat. Automatic parking enables vehicles to shift themselves, knowing when the driver leaves and switching to park before it’s too late.
Speed Limit Automation
Volvo is currently working on a speed limit technology that would stop drivers from exceeding the limit. Relying on the same identifying technology that GPS devices use, the car would know what the current speed limit is and stop the vehicle from accelerating any further.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Building off of the current version, adaptive cruise control offers automatic adjustments. This allows you to set the feature and forget about it while your car automatically maintains a safe distance from other vehicles on the road.
With New Tech Comes New Responsibilities
All of these features are designed to make the roads safer for everyone, but accidents still happen. In this new era of technology, there are times when the vehicle’s systems are faulty. In these instances, you need a car defect accident lawyer to prove you are not at fault.
More important is these technologies’ ability to keep pedestrians safe. While new systems are proving highly effective, there are still a lot of quirks to work out before pedestrian detection becomes a fully viable safety feature in any vehicle.
Even leaders like Tesla are finding problems with their civilian detection tech, though this mainly falls in the realm of pushing autonomous capabilities. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a faulty detection system, it’s important to hire quality help like that of the Rosenthal personal injury law firm to fight your case.
These new safety systems are fantastic advancements, but keep in mind that their faults place the blame on the companies that create them. That’s not to say you can’t be at fault for an accident, but you are not to blame when technology goes awry.