The United States has one of the largest automobile markets, with around 276 million vehicles being registered in the market. Despite many people owning a car, sometimes more of them, the risks of accidents are still easily dismissed. Still, the dangers are there, with more and more people ending up with injuries or worse as a result of an accident.
Luckily, technology is also continuously improving, making transportation much safer for various types of drivers. Used correctly, not only will it protect private car owners, but it can also reduce the risk of accidents in transportation fleets. Here are the main technologies showing up to reduce the risk of accidents.
- Feedback Systems
In an ideal world, every person holding a driver’s license would be a professional in terms of driving. However, that is not always possible. Sometimes, the driver may lack experience – or they may have been driving for such a long time that they have forgotten the proper road etiquette.
For instance, while 17-year-olds represent around 3.5% of licensed drivers, they also represent 8.9% of motor vehicle crashes. This number is the highest compared to other age categories, and the cause of this is a lack of experience. Drivers aged 30-40 and above are also prone to accidents for a different reason: they are so used to the road that they become much too daring.
This is where feedback systems come in, as a solution to communicate directly to the driver. An example of such technology would be a car-coaching system, which will be triggered by specific actions of the drivers. If the driver is engaging in dangerous maneuvers, whether to themselves or other people on the road, the system will send an alert.
These systems have been in use in California for quite some time. In the event of an accident, a Long Beach truck accident lawyer may check the data from the system to determine the fault of the accident.
2. Tracking Systems and Apps
Vehicle tracking systems have long since been used by fleet companies to reduce costs. They can track which routes are best to take, and they can also prevent the drivers from taking unnecessarily long routes – therefore, reducing fuel costs.
That being said, tracking systems and road apps also reduce the risk of accidents. Stopping them from taking unnecessarily long routes reduces the risk of fatigue, but also prevents too many vehicles from being on the same road at the same time. As driving time is reduced, the chances of accidents are also diminished.
3. Maintenance Systems
Regardless of the car type, its maintenance status may also lead to potential accidents. While we are encouraged to take our vehicles regularly for checkups, very few people actually do that. As a result, many car issues remain unnoticed until it becomes too late. For instance, a faulty brake may not be noticed until you hit the brakes and fail.
By installing a vehicle maintenance system, drivers can be alerted in real-time whether there are any maintenance issues to be addressed. Nowadays, maintenance systems can even find the most common problems in electric vehicles, so that you may address them before they become an issue.
4. Video Technology
Many traffic accidents are caused by blind spots – especially when large vehicles are involved. However, video technology has successfully improved visibility for car drivers, offering a 360-degree view of everything that is around the car.
Video technology prevents you from backing too close into a potential accident, or from bumping into something outside your ray of vision. It can also save you from potential lawsuits, as it will store the live videos on cloud platforms.
5. Communication Technology
The last but simplest way in which technology protects drivers is communication. It is estimated that an average of 60% of drivers over 18 frequently text and drive, putting themselves at high risk for accidents. Similarly, simply talking on their cell phone poses a danger, as they will have to use one of their hands to hold the phone instead of the wheel.
Communication technology can prevent these accidents, with sound systems allowing you to send messages via voice, without distracting yourself. This can be very efficient for fleet cars that need to contact their clients, and cannot afford to stop in the middle of the road.
The Bottom Line
Technology can be very helpful in ensuring your safety on the road. While the risk of accidents cannot be removed completely, it can still be significantly reduced with the help of specific gadgets.
