Gone are the days when in-vehicle technology was limited to ABS brakes and airbags. Today, automakers are rapidly deploying a range of technological innovations and advanced driver assistance systems. The goal? To improve road safety and reduce accidents and the serious injuries they cause. Here are just a few of the technologies that serve as your daily co-pilot.
Another example? If the car in front of you is braking hard, the system could sense this change, issue a potential collision alert, and brake before you do, avoiding an accident and... an insurance claim. Unless you have the driving skills of the characters in the Fast and Furious film series, chances are you've unintentionally drifted out of your lane on occasion.
And in some vehicles, the steering wheel is adjusted before you do anything! Even better, Ford's SuperCruise system changes lanes at the driver's request! Blind spot monitoring systems detect vehicles in hard-to-see areas. If you activate a turn signal to change lanes and there is a vehicle in the blind spot, the sensor issues a warning using a variety of signals to avoid a potential collision.
And, still with the goal of improving road safety, some models also offer night vision capabilities. If you don't like driving in the dark, this could be a feature to consider.The use of cameras improves overall visibility around the vehicle. The rearview camera, for example, gives drivers a better view of what's going on behind their vehicle when backing up.
This system of sensors and radars maintains the distance between the two vehicles, accelerating when necessary and slowing or braking when traffic becomes less fluid. A feature that not only makes the driver's job easier, but also improves road safety for all users.New biometric technologies could eventually allow drivers to access their cars without a physical key. Facial recognition is beginning to be used to lock and unlock doors.