Are the New Cars on the Road Preventing Car Accident Injuries?

Are the New Cars on the Road Preventing Car Accident Injuries?

Car companies claim they are competing to manufacture the safest cars on the road. With everything from side-impact and driver’s knee airbags to high-strength steel to brake assist and more, cars are becoming more advanced. As such, the question arises: “Are the new cars on the road preventing car accidents and car accident injuries?”

How Vehicles Are Becoming Safer and Avoiding Crashes

Newer safety features are designed not only to reduce injuries in the event of a crash, but to avoid an accident entirely. Some of the latest advancements in accident avoidance technology, as cited in an article published by Consumer Reports, include:

• Brake assist
• Forward collision warning
• Backup cameras
• Parking assist
• Lane keeping assist and lane departure warnings
• Tire pressure monitors
• Adaptive cruise control
• Pedestrian detection
• Blind spot warning

Some vehicles will not only warn drivers of impending dangers, but actually take over to avoid the danger altogether.

While many of these features are beneficial, defective designs may actually cause crashes or make injuries worse than they otherwise would have been. Safety features can also give drivers a false sense of security and lead them to take risks or not pay attention.

New Airbag Technology Protects Drivers and Passengers from Injuries

Not only have cars advanced to help prevent accidents entirely, but technology has also been created to reduce the risk of serious injury in the event that a crash does occur. Two newer advances in airbag technology include side-impact airbags and knee airbags.

Side-impact airbags are designed to deploy in certain types of collisions, such as rollovers, rear, or side-impact crashes. Side airbags reduce the risk that the occupant of the vehicle will hit the door or other objects to the side, whereas front-impact airbags only prevent the driver or passenger from hitting the steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield.

In addition to side-impact airbags, an article in Edmunds discussed the future of other airbag technology, including knee airbags. As the name of this type of airbag implies, knee airbags are designed to minimize injuries to the lower limbs in a crash, especially the knees.

Drivers Still Responsible for Accident Prevention

More safety technology in vehicles plays an important role in accident prevention and injury mitigation. That being said, however, the ultimate responsibility for safety still rests on the shoulders of drivers in North Carolina and elsewhere. Speeding, distracted driving, driving while intoxicated, and driving without regard for traffic laws all continue to endanger others, regardless of technology.

If you have been involved in a crash with a negligent driver and have suffered injuries, we want to help. Also, if your accident or injury resulted from a vehicle defect, the attorneys at Riddle & Brantley, LLP, can help you pursue a product liability claim against a vehicle manufacturer.

To learn more about your rights after a crash and how we can help you seek the money you deserve, call our offices or contact us online today.