Charlottetown Lawyers Discuss How Automobile Technology Can Prevent Injuries and Save Lives

Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of personal injury accidents – whether it is broken bones, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries or worse. Automobile accident rates are not declining despite stricter traffic laws, higher penalties for violations, rising insurance rates and more stringent requirements for new drivers.

A personal injury lawyer in Charlottetown can help you obtain the financial compensation you deserve for your accident injuries but wishing the accident never occurred is the preference of most accident victims. Increasing the safety of vehicles may prevent injuries and help save lives.

To help reduce the risk of accidents, automobile manufacturers have introduced several safety features over the years. In the history of the automobile, crash avoidance systems and devices have included vehicle headlamps, reflectors, other lights and signals, mirrors, and new brake, steering and suspension systems. Crash impact reduction measures have included seatbelts, airbags, laminated windshields, crumple zones away from the driver and passenger seating, safety cells, side impact protection beams, collapsible columns, impact absorbing pedestrian protection systems, padding the interior, and cargo barriers.

New lane departure warning systems are now available on the market as part of advanced driver assistance systems. Some technologies, like Chrysler’s “LaneSense,” will automatically nudge you back into the centre of the lane. Other driver assistance technologies that have emerged include driver alertness detection systems, automatic braking, infrared night vision, adaptive headlamps, reverse backup sensors, backup camera, adaptive cruise control, tire pressure monitoring, traction control, electronic stability control, anti-lock braking systems, electronic breakforce distribution systems, emergency brake assist systems, cornering brake control systems, precrash systems, and obstacle detection systems.

GM is working on one of the latest driver assistance programs. The “Seeming Machine” technology tracks the movement of your head and eyes to measure your attention level and gauges the time you spend without your eyes on the road. The technology is also capable of sensing if you haven’t checked your rear view mirror enough.

Another innovation is the use of audio, visual and physical cues to alert a driver of an approaching cyclist or motorbike, being developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Advanced Research Center. Using its sensors, it will trigger a tap on the driver’s shoulder to compel him or her to look back and spot a cyclist approaching from the rear. The device will also send off a cycle bell or bike honk from a speaker on the side of the vehicle that the two-wheeled vehicle is approaching. There are plans for LED lights to light up amber or red to signal the close distance to help prevent the common accident of opening a door as the cyclist is passing.

Mercedes Benz has a self-driving “F015 Luxury in Motion” vehicle in the testing phase to increase road safety. It has LED lights installed on the front and back, which are the car’s way of communicating with other drivers, such that blue lights mean it is autonomous driving mode and white means someone is controlling the vehicle. It has the potential to increase safety because of its capabilities, faster reaction time and absence of distractions.

Google is similarly looking to introduce driverless vehicles and is currently in talks with some of the biggest automakers in the industry about making driverless vehicles ready for production by 2020. These sensor-filled vehicles can detect objects at a distance of more than two football fields in all directions and can make driving decisions based on what’s happening around them in real time, such as slowing down for cars that come from hidden driveways, cyclists making gestures that indicate a possible turn or jaywalking pedestrians. One of the questions are being raised for these vehicles is who is liable in an accident.

The emergence of new automobile technologies to increase driver safety is sparking the interest of many Canadians. There is much hope that new improvements to the automobile will reduce injuries and save lives. If you have been the victim of an automobile accident, contact the lawyers in Charlottetown at CLG Injury Law, personal injury lawyers serving Halifax, Fredericton, Moncton, and Saint John.