Vehicular accidents can be devastating. In fact, even the minor ones can already be damaging not only to the vehicle, but also to drivers, passengers, and even the environment as well. In worst-case scenarios, cars get stuck in continuous motion, followed by quick braking, idling, and a collision.
Still, some car accidents are unavoidable. After all, that’s why they are called “accidents.”
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nothing you can do to prevent these from happening. Don’t wait until you need a reliable car accident workshop before you take action.
With vehicle technology advancing faster than ever, there are some car features that can help reduce the number of road accidents. When combined with good driving and car maintenance habits, these can help make the world a crash-free place.
Not sure what these are? Read on to learn how technology can combat accidents and some practical tips on how you can take to the road and stay safe.
Car Tech vs. Accidents: What Features Do You Need?
Technology has progressed quite a lot, especially in the automotive industry. In fact, it has completely altered the way cars operate, with high-tech features that provide more convenient and comfortable driving. But aside from luxurious heated seats and the auto-start function, newer vehicles now feature technology that helps make driving a whole lot safer.
Not sure what to look for in a car? Below are some of the best features you probably didn’t know that many vehicles already have today:
1. Automatic Emergency Braking
To help prevent road accidents, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) feature warns the driver about an imminent crash and helps implement maximum braking capacity to prevent collisions. In fact, in case the driver is unconscious or doesn’t respond to the warning, the AEB can take control and apply the brakes independently.
Also known as a “pre-crash system” and “active city brake,” the AEB is currently available three categories.
The low-speed system helps vehicles on city streets detect other cars in front to reduce the occurrence of crashes and minor injuries, while higher-speed systems can scan as far as 200 meters ahead of the vehicle using a long-range radar for faster speeds.
The pedestrian system, on the other hand, monitors pedestrian movement nearby based on the direction the vehicle is headed. It then determines if there is any risk of collision and, ultimately, keeps both drivers and pedestrians safe.
2. Auto-Steering
Despite its name, auto-steering features don’t necessarily take full control of steering the vehicle. There’s an entirely different car technology for that.
Instead, auto-steering allows the vehicle to take the wheel from the driver in some situations that require a takeover (i.e., to avoid collision). In many cases, this feature is implemented in conjunction with AEB – after the brakes are applied, the car steers itself around the potential collision course without straying from the current traffic lane.
3. Blind Spot Detection
Another reason why road accidents happen is because of blind spots on the driver side. To remedy this, clever manufacturers have incorporated a blind spot detection feature that is most useful when changing lanes.
Some variations of this feature give the driver continuous updates on the status of their blind spots while there are a few that only offer warnings when the signal is on.
4. Electronic Stability Control
Since it became a standard feature on cars manufactured in 2012 moving forward, the Electronic Stability Control (ECS) was able to reduce the risk of single-vehicle crashes. It has even caused a drop in fatal rollovers by a staggering 80 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
How? By preventing them from sliding out of control even under risk climates through reducing engine power from the brakes to the wheels.
4. Practical Ways You Can Avoid Car Crash
When it comes to avoiding accidents, maintenance tasks like oil change, brake repair for Audi is the first thing that comes to mind. But aside from keeping your car in good shape, there are more ways how you can stay safe while on the road, including:
5. Positioning your hands on the wheels properly
The safest position of a driver’s hands at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock position. This is because it allows him to perform the quickest and most coordinated reaction during an emergency situation.
6. Avoiding distractions
If you find slow-moving vehicles on the road, chances are that their drivers are doing something else. When this happens, be extra careful.
People sometimes talk on the phone or read messages while driving. Since they are distracted from their primary task, they won’t be able to perform effective evasive maneuvers in case of a potential collision, thereby increasing the risk of accidents.
Don’t drive and text. And never take your attention away from the road.
7. Watching your distance
You should also keep a safe distance from vehicles in front to avoid colliding with it. Ideally, you must still be able to see the plate number of the car you’re following. Otherwise, you’re driving too close to it.
Having more space between vehicles gives drivers more time to react to the traffic ahead and avoid accidents. While it doesn’t necessarily increase the reaction time, it boosts your chances of reacting on time.
It is safe to set a three-second distance away from the bumper of the vehicle in front. However, you should consider the ten seconds distance ahead of you. This will help you stay alert and on the lookout for any changes in the movement of the first two to three vehicles ahead of your own.
If you see brake lights turning on this far ahead, you can anticipate the right moment when you need to apply your own brakes as well.
8. Knowing your vehicle’s limits
Multitudes of road accidents happen because drivers simply don’t understand their own cars’ limits. Whatever brand, model, or make of a vehicle you’re driving, you have to make sure that you know what it is capable of and what it’s not. This will allow you to make the most out of it while staying safe on the road.
Avoid More Accidents
Road accidents are called such because people cannot possibly know when they will occur. But in most cases, these occurrences are preventable, especially now that many cars are equipped for a quicker, better reaction to unexpected changes on the road. When combined with practical knowledge of driving safely, you can avoid more accidents on the road.
