MOTORING CORNER : “Accident Preventing Technologies”

Motor vehicles have evolved over the years and so have the accessories that come built in them. These days, we hear of “full options”, “special editions, etcetera. All these jargons are meant to inform the consumers of what a vehicle has or hasn’t got. The bottom line is the competition for more customers who would have otherwise purchased one brand or the other. There is a wide range of items included in vehicles, TV systems, DVD, Cameras, Cruise control, fridges, play stations and so on and so forth. Many of the features added are just to make the vehicle as comfortable or as luxurious to the user as possible. As motor vehicles become more and more sophisticated, the demand for more features grows with them. In a number of vehicles being manufactured now days, they have been adding items like “cruise controls”, “backup mirrors”, “proximity sensors”, etc. What is for sure is that, motor vehicle manufacturers are getting aware of the need to protect their customers. Many vehicles come fitted not only with seat belts but also air bags and sometimes antiroll bars. All these are in a bid to enhance the safety of the vehicle occupants. Most of the features have been geared at either alleviating the accident impact on the vehicle or minimizing the injuries resulting from an accident. However, new technologies have been evolved that are aimed at preventing accidents from happening altogether. This is not mere fantasy but a reality. Safety has moved from seatbelts and airbags that cushion the body in the event of an accident occurring, these have been further supplemented by what is known as “Telematics” systems that provide automatic crash notification and send help right away. But while many motor vehicle safety features come handy during or after an accident has occurred, a number of vehicle manufacturers are moving their attention to the safety technology that will intervene before an accident occurs; this is to help minimize or even get rid of any damage or injury that may result from such an accident by avoiding it altogether. By using a set of sensors, cameras and onboard computers, these crash prevention systems alert the driver of an impending accident, and better prepare the vehicle and its occupants for the impact and, if any, and some cases the brakes may automatically deploy in a bid to stop the vehicle in case the driver does not react in timely manner to avoid an impending situation. One thing is for sure, these systems are not a substitute for attentive and careful driving, they are meant to supplement it and make the whole experience much easier and safer; they reduce the extent of injury to everyone and vehicle involved in a car accident. They may also help prevent some crashes altogether, ushering in the next revolution in motor vehicle safety. Much as this technology first appeared on luxury cars only, crash prevention systems have started to embrace more and more affordable vehicles. Good examples include the Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support available on the Fords in collaboration with Volvo. motoringcorner@live.co.uk

Lifestyle

MOTORING CORNER : “Accident Preventing Technologies”