Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
New vehicles are coming with a heck of a lot of features nowadays and many of them are aimed at helping to make us a little safer by reducing the risks for car accidents in Boston and elsewhere.
But are they working? Officials with the Highway Loss Data Institute are saying that they are doing a decent job. This group of safety advocates analyzes insurance claim data in connection with crash avoidance technologies, according to CNN Money.
One of the technologies that was pointed out by the group was the forward collision avoidance systems. This technology can help to alert drivers when they’re approaching something that they could crash into. Some of the systems will even brake the car if the driver doesn’t.
Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that property damage liability claims were down nearly 15 percent on some vehicles with the forward collision avoidance system. There are also other technologies that are helping to avoid accidents, like adaptive headlights. These are headlights that move from side to side as the vehicle turns to help the driver to see more of the roadway. Officials say that this technology reduced the number of property damage claims by nearly 10 percent. This technology was able to reduce the number of injury claims by about 30 percent in some models.
“Adaptive headlights are having an even bigger impact than we had anticipated,” said HLDI vice president Matt Moore.
And then we have blind-spot-detection, which officials say hasn’t shown any clear effect on crash rates yet.
Lastly, one of the most popular forms of crash avoidance technology was the lane departure systems. These systems alert a driver when they’re vehicle is drifting off the road or into another lane of traffic. Official numbers have not been released regarding the effect of this technology, nor have they been released for technologies like backup cameras, park assist and other high-tech safety options.
Each and every day, more and more vehicles are coming equipped with these devices. They’re no longer only for the luxury vehicles.
Automakers aren’t stopping there either. They’ve got a whole slew of crash avoidance technologies lined up, including night vision assist, fatigue warning, curve speed warning, cross traffic alerts and more. All of these technologies are in the developmental phases and will be on the market before we know it.
Although automakers are working toward developing vehicles that can pretty much drive themselves, we still need to solely rely on safe driving habits to avoid accidents. There’s no technology that should replace your alertness and awareness at the wheel. Safe driving habits have been proven more effective than anything in preventing crashes. Continue practicing your safest driving habits to avoid a potentially fatal accident.
If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a car accident in Boston or elsewhere in Massachusetts, contact Boston Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman. Our firm offers free and confidential consultations to accident victims and the families of accident victims. Call 877-617-5333 to schedule your free consultation today.
Additional Resources:
New auto safety technologies appear successful, by James O’Toole @CNNMoney
More Blog Entries:
New Technology Curbing Car Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere?, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, June 17, 2012
Summer: Highest Risks for Teen Car Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, May 29, 2012