Safety Systems For Brakes Continue To Improve

Today’s technology has come a long way and is now being used to help drivers avoid back up and low speed crashes in parking lots and driveways. Laws have been passed so that all new vehicles in the U.S. are now required to have backup cameras and cross-traffic alerts. These systems can let drivers know if there are other vehicles or solid objects where they may not be able to be seen.

In an article that appeared on the Miami CBS local website the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that when this technology is used, accidents are lessened by 40%. When this technology is paired with an onboard automatic braking system in the vehicle, these types of crashes can be lessened by as much as 78%.

While having this technology available in new vehicles, currently it’s estimated just 5% of new vehicles have it available. It isn’t perfect, however, according to David Zuby with the IIHS, “…a lot of people have trouble backing up and a lot of crashes occur under those circumstances.” His advice to safety-minded drivers is to seek out the technology.

As good as these technological advances seem to be, it isn’t perfect yet. The automatic braking systems even in new vehicles are not yet able to sense humans or animals in a vehicle’s path consistently.

Safety improvements have helped more people stay on the roads and survive crashes. Indeed, the entire history of automobiles can be seen as a set of safety improvements, from horns to safety glass, seat belts, airbags, and many others. Soon enough we’ll see how self-driving cars will push down the accident rate even further.