Are Vehicle Safety Features Effective?

Automakers have included a wide range of safety characteristics in new vehicles to improve the driver’s experience and prevent harm to drivers, passengers, and everyone else on the road. A few of the newest automatic driving assistance systems, according to a recent AAA study, are impeding motorists.

What Are Some of the Most Recent Vehicle Safety Features?

Even though manufacturers are still quite a bit away from mass-producing totally autonomous automobiles, they are now integrating various safety features into their cars to better help drivers.

Some of the newer safety technologies, such as sensors and cameras, assist and identify the situation around the car by providing additional protection. Business news outlets predict that the market for these Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) will reach $83 billion by 2030.

Some of the semi-autonomous driving technology available include:

• Automated parking assistance, in which the vehicle self-parks itself
• Notifications regarding cross traffic
• Cruise control with automatic adjustments
• The ability to detect a person’s blindspot
• If the vehicle veers outside of its lane, automatic steering and an alarm sound.
• Assistive steering
• Systems that detect pedestrians
• Collision warning technologies such as lights or beeps that sound when drivers are approaching vehicles or other objects too quickly
• Recognizing traffic signs

Accidents Since The Introduction Of Vehicle Safety Features

For example, seat belts and other basic safety features have helped make driving a lot safer for Americans in general. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lap and shoulder restraints saved the lives of almost 15,000 people in 2017 and might have saved over 2,500 additional lives if the accident victims had been wearing seat belts.

In terms of more recent safety technologies, studies by LexisNexis Risk Solutions have shown that advanced driving assistance systems helped to lower traffic accident injuries by over 25% and property damage rates by around 19%. In addition, Carnegie Mellon University research has indicated that vehicle crash avoidance technology could prevent up to $264 billion in collisions of all light-duty vehicles.

Blind-spot monitoring systems were found to reduce the occurrence of accidents by 14 percent, according to a study. According to the same research, if every vehicle sold in the United States in 2015 had this functionality, it might have prevented 50,000 traffic incidents and over 15,000 motor vehicle injuries.

Active driving assistance systems that combine adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping (the most sophisticated level of automated driving technology accessible to customers) in real-world situations, on the other hand, fail to perform well. The systems frequently disengage rapidly and without warning, leaving the driver to instantly retake complete control of the car.

In addition, Active driving assistance, according to AAA’s Director of Automotive Engineering, is intended to make roadways safer. However, he acknowledged that vehicle researchers have discovered time and time again that the systems do not work as expected in real-world settings. He maintained that manufacturers must strive to enhance more reliable lane-keeping technology and give better advance warnings.

According to the AAA, issues with lane departure or erratic lane positions accounted for more than 70% of the mistakes observed in research on public roads.

The technology, on the other hand, proved ineffective when put to the test in a closed environment. When a test car with active driving assistance met a simulated disabled vehicle on the side of the road, there was a collision 66% of the time, according to researchers.

When a vehicle’s automated braking system discovered another car in the next lane or near a garage, other difficulties emerged. The systems frequently assumed a collision was imminent and slammed on the brakes or swerved away from the other vehicle. The machines’ actions might result in a rear-end accident or any variety of collision.

When the alarms and caution lights operate properly, they’re distracting for contemporary drivers, who already have to deal with a plethora of distractions while driving. Furthermore, if these phony alerts happen too often, drivers may be tempted to disable the safety measures. In recent research, 10% of drivers said they had disabled forward-collision warnings, and nearly 20% had disabled automatic emergency braking functions.

Even minor repairs to these driving assistance technologies might result in a driver’s bill doubling after a little mishap, which might lead the individual to avoid repairing damaged or broken safety features. Before putting the automated driving assistance systems into general public circulation, manufacturers must increase the dependability of the technology.

Have Vehicle Safety Features Made a Difference in Fault Laws?

Under current regulations, drivers continue to be solely responsible for monitoring the road for other cars and obstacles and doing all possible to drive safely. Instead of utilizing their own eyes, ears, and other senses to detect potential dangers, drivers with collision avoidance and backup warnings frequently rely on these technologies.

Even if the vehicle’s operator is using automated driving assistance technology, under Florida law, the owner of a vehicle with such assistance is defined as the driver. However, if an automobile defect causes an accident, such as when an automated driving system fails, the car manufacturer may be held responsible.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Assist You in the Aftermath of a Car Accident

If you’ve been in a vehicle accident with automated vehicle safety features, contact Rue & Ziffra to schedule your free case evaluation. Our experienced car accident attorneys can evaluate the facts of your collision and explain your choices for pursuing compensation if others were responsible. Our personal injury attorneys are prepared to handle all aspects of your case. We’ll answer any questions you have and guide you through the complicated process of dealing with your case.