Automakers are imagining a world where nobody dies in car accidents and they say it is closer than most people think. While they maintain that the real solution to a crash-free world lies in self-driving cars, a host of high-tech safety features are making drivers safer -- and better -- in the meantime.
The past decade has seen dramatic development by various automakers in the field of collision-avoidance technology. Blind-spot detectors now watch for oncoming vehicles, adaptive cruise controls reduce speed based on cars ahead, and camera systems warn drivers when they drift out of their lanes. Detectors can even pick up on a drowsy driver's subtle changes in behavior to indicate it's time for a break.
Volvo -- which has built its reputation on safety leadership -- has set a goal that by 2020 nobody will be killed or seriously injured in its new cars. In addition to accident avoidance, Volvo is developing systems that reduce injuries when crashes are inescapable. Among these is a rear impact mitigation system which senses if a car is approaching too quickly and preconditions the interior for impact by tightening seatbelts and engaging brakes.
Initially reserved for high-end luxury vehicles, the cost of safety technology is falling and finding its way into lower-priced automobiles. The new Ford Fusion contains 20 driver-assistance technologies including a pedestrian-detection system and a steering wheel that vibrates if a driver begins drifting from the lane.
GM unveiled a new rear-door monitor in its GMC Acadia crossover that reminds drivers to check the back seat for children before leaving the car. The safety feature will eventually be included in all of its models. GM is the first automaker to use the alert system and is working on technology that can detect if a child is left behind. About 30 to 40 children die every year in the United States from heat stroke after being left in a hot vehicle, most because their distracted parents simply forgot they were still in their car seats. Meanwhile Toyota recently introduced a new suite of features called Safety Sense which will be offered on nearly all models by 2017.
