How Technology Will Make Driving Less Dangerous

Automatic Brake Systems

Automatic braking can't totally deter one car from colliding with another, but it can minimize the intensity of the impact. Audi, Lexus and BMW are building this extra safety feature into their latest models. "Intelligent braking" as it's also sometimes called, was once only available on pricier luxury cars. A number of automotive brands that include Ford and General Motors are increasingly making this radar sensitive function standard, however. It has been found that automatic braking systems significantly lower insurance injury claims, making it hard to question the necessity of them.

Awareness Detection

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's data shows that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013.There's a slew of other research available that links incoherent drivers to traffic accidents. This safety serving technology comes with cameras that trigger alarms when a driver's eyes drift for dangerously extended amounts of time from the road in front of them. This application can also be relied on to warn drivers distracted by handheld devices.

Lane Departure Warning

Lane changing accidents are common and deadly. Veer beyond the line between your lane and the next and your car, if rigged with this life saving device, will alert you, though this feature will not activate if you've put on your signal. In another version of this same technology, your car will keep centered between the lines at all times..

Roadside Assistance

Rescuing stalled and damaged vehicles around the clock has never been easy. Towing software enables more effective communication between drivers and the organizations that dispatch them. The GPS included in the software's smart functionality ensures that trucks don't waste time looking for remote sites and can reach them quickly. The latest software developed specifically for towing services also has the ability to track the progress of the assistance being offered to the driver in need.

Intelligent Parking Assistance

Even the most seasoned drivers can find easing into certain parking spaces a real challenge. Intelligent parking assistance (IPAS) can make an often stressful task simple. Best yet, it requires little effort from the driver while doing so due to it taking all the guessing work out of steering the wheel and alleviates the stress of not knowing whether your vehicle will fit. A backup camera and sensors on the bumpers are what prevent your car from hitting the vehicle in front or behind you. The camera and sensors interface with a computer panel in the interior of your car that shows you the path your car is taking as it snugs into place.

At some point in the future, vehicles will be fully autonomous. It's not going to be an easy transition though. Before driverless driving becomes a reality, the argument that human beings are not superior to software when it comes to navigating streets and highways will have to be won. Cars so sensitive to their surroundings they actually make driving safer are a work-in-progress, but with 1.3 million people losing their lives in car accidents annually, technology that lowers these fatalities is certainly worth developing.