Improve Your Road Safety With This Tech
Car safety technology can come a long way since airbags and ABS. There are now all kinds of gadgets that can help you to drive more safely. Below are just some of the modern forms of car safety tech that could be worth investing in.
Hands-free Bluetooth/voice command
Using a phone while driving can be extremely dangerous. But what if you need to make/receive an important call while on the road? Hands-free technology is the safest solution. Such technology can allow you to make calls and answer the phone without having to use your hands.
Many modern cars are able to use bluetooth technology to link up with your phone. This can allow you to receive calls through your car speakers while speaking back into a microphone (usually in-built within the car). Using voice command features on your phone, it’s also possible to conduct many other functions hands-free. This includes setting a GPS location and even composing and sending texts. This reduces the need to touch your phone while driving.
Breathalyers
If you’ve been drinking alcohol, having a breathalyser in your car could be handy, helping you to determine whether you are over the limit. You can buy digital breathalysers online that can give you an accurate idea of whether you are fit to drive. Some can also be used in conjunction with an app and may be able to offer advice such as how long you should wait before driving.
Parking sensors
Parking sensors can bleep to let you know if you are too close to another vehicle or object. This can be useful when parking vehicles that may have blindspots such as vans.
Some modern vehicles have parking sensors already fitted. For vehicles that don’t, it’s possible to install parking sensors. Stats show that parking sensors can be effective at reducing accidents – including injuries and fatalities that may be caused by reversing into a child or cyclist.
Cameras
Front-facing and rear-facing cameras can assist when parking by helping you to see around blind spots. They can be particularly useful for vans and trucks. These cameras come in-built in some modern vehicles or can be fitted as extras.
On top of helping to prevent accidents, cameras can help you to prove who was at fault when getting into an accident. If you are on a motorcycle and a car pulls out in front of you, having a camera fitted to your helmet could be a huge help – with the help of dedicated motorcycle accident attorneys, you’ll be able to prove that the other driver was at fault. Cameras may also be able to record footage of other dangerous drivers on the road so that you can give evidence to police if necessary.
Emergency brake assist
Emergency brake assist is a technology that is able to increase braking pressure in an emergency. This can allow you to stop more quickly (studies have found that it can reduce stopping distances by an average of 20%).
Brake assist can be found in many modern cars. It’s possible to fit it into older cars, but can be quite expensive. Other modern brake technologies include autonomous emergency braking and collision avoidance systems – such technology can automatically brake your car when another object is detected to be close.
Intelligent speed assist
Intelligent speed assist (ISA) uses cameras and GPS technology to limit the speed of a vehicle to the road that it is driving on. This can prevent drivers going over the speed limit and reduce the risk of accidents caused by speeding.
Some countries already have plans to make ISA technology compulsory in all modern vehicles. If you have a bad past track record of speeding, intelligent speed assist technology could be worth fitting in your car. Similar devices include telematics ‘black box’ devices – these record your driving performance and are able to adjust your insurance rates based on how much you speed, encouraging you to stick to the speed limit.
Automated parking system
An automated parking system (APS) could enable your car to park itself. Such systems use a combination of sensors, cameras and automation to steer your car into a chosen parking space. For many new drivers, this can reduce the risk of accidents caused while parking.
This technology is still relatively new, but fairly reliable and has helped pave the way for driverless cars. Many cars that have this technology also incorporate technology such as automated braking so they can abandon a parking maneuver if a pedestrian or other vehicle suddenly moves in the way. Automated parking systems are pretty difficult to install in older cars and you are better off buying a modern car that already has this technology fitted.
