As people of the modern age, we live in an era where technology is changing rapidly. It has overtaken each corner of our lives, from the way we communicate to the way we learn and even drive. New technological developments keep showing up daily and all share the same goal— to make users’ lives easier. It’s safe to say that technology is reshaping each aspect of our daily routines.
As said, technology has even affected our transport and the way our vehicles operate. Anyone who had the chance to drive an old-fashioned car can definitely testify to the big transformation that happened thanks to technology. The vehicles of today are much safer and have a number of different features that make driving a more pleasant experience. However, the transformation isn’t over yet. In fact, it seems it’s only starting.
With road safety becoming a growing issue, the integration of advanced technologies is necessary to further optimize vehicles and ensure safety for all.
In this elaborate blog post, we’ll shed light on the issue of road safety and dive deep into how the cutting-edge advancements of today are affecting transport.
The road safety concern
Road safety is a critical concern of the 21st century. Many still fail to take the issue seriously and the number of traffic accidents continues to alarm nations worldwide. Instead of the number dropping gradually with time, it seems that, despite all the strict laws, the number still keeps growing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 1.19 million deaths caused by road traffic crashes.
The figure speaks volumes for itself. And the biggest concern is that there are no exceptions—people of all ages and backgrounds are not exempt from the rule. In fact, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years, according to the abovementioned report.
That’s why it’s crucial that everyone finally takes the problem seriously and takes some action to bring these numbers to a minimum.
Most frequent causes of road accidents
Hands down, human error is a major contributing factor in over 90% of road traffic accidents. It means that drivers are the main cause of the majority of road accidents. Human error can result in many different types of reckless driving.
For instance, a well-known car accident attorney from Indianapolis lists distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence as just some of the main causes of road accidents.
Distracted driving has become a critical issue especially with the rise of different multimedia entertainment methods that shift the driver’s attention away from the road. Additionally, mobile phone usage and texting while driving are yet another important part of the problem.
How technology can be a powerful ally
Technology can help in different ways. It can be a powerful ally in this battle and assist in optimizing car safety and reducing the road risks. The vehicles of today are more modern and have been built in such a way to minimize the risks and number of fatalities if it comes to an accident in the first place.
Advanced driver assistance systems(ADAS)
One of the emerging technologies that’s becoming more popular is definitely the assisted driving systems. These systems make motor vehicles safer and lower the chances of human error. Naturally, these are not foolproof and can’t completely eliminate human error, but they can significantly lower the number of road accidents.
The ADAS technology includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and automatic braking in case of emergencies. By using sensors and cameras, these systems monitor the vehicle’s surroundings and can assist the driver in making better and smarter(and safer) decisions when driving.
Autonomous vehicles
Self-driving cars are still in the development phase and have not been fully explored, That’s why they’re still not that popular in the market. But things are likely to change and quite soon in fact. Just next year, it’s expected that 60% of cars will have Level 2 autonomy.
What does that mean exactly? Well, all the above mentioned in the ADAS technology section (adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings and automatic braking) are included along with hands-free steering, traffic sign recognition, blind spot detection, and automated parking.
This lowers the chances of collisions significantly and hopefully, with time, as they continue to optimize this technology, autonomous vehicles will be more frequent on the roads.
Crash prevention and mitigation
Technology can also help prevent car crashes or, if not able to prevent, then at least mitigate the outcomes. This can be done with the help of collision avoidance systems and pedestrian detection.
Again, sensors are used to detect and recognize the signs of potential collisions and warn the driver before it’s too late. That way, the driver can react in a timely manner and avoid the consequences of a fatal crash.
Other safety features
There are also many other useful features where technology manages to shine and positively affect road safety. As you already know, almost all motor vehicles are fully equipped(or at least should be) with many different safety features such as airbags and seat belts. Technology takes all of this to the next level by also introducing electronic stability control and tire pressure monitoring systems.
That way, the driver is at all time aware of what’s going on inside the car but also has all the safety measures in place that can help reduce the severity level of injuries a potential car accident could cause.
The key takeaways
The integration of technology into the automotive sector can drastically improve transport and ensure a safer driving experience for all. With modernized vehicles, road safety should hopefully no longer be such an alarming issue.
The assisted driving technology, along with other crash mitigation developments and safety features should bring forth a new era of safer vehicles that minimize the impact of human error.
With more people realizing the importance of road safety and mindful driving, the roads of tomorrow will witness fewer road accidents and hopefully the next traffic reports we see will display lower figures of fatalities.
Link: https://www.analyticsinsight.net/tech-news/optimizing-vehicles-for-enhanced-road-safety-the-role-of-technology
Source: https://www.analyticsinsight.net