There’s More to Safety than Seatbelts - February 28th, 2007
The numbers regarding automobile accidents in the United States are sobering. In 2005 there were 2.9 million injury cases and 42,636 deaths - accidents costing:
- $230.6 billion a year
- $7,300 per second
- $820 per U.S. citizen.
Amazingly, most people shopping for a new car still think that seatbelts and airbags are the primary safety mechanisms standing between them and personal disaster. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
For instance, the Vehicle Stability Control system in the Lexus RX works in concert with the vehicle’s traction control. Sensors analyze wheel speed and the steering angle to detect if a wheel is spinning too fast. In response, the correct amount of brake pressure is applied to that specific wheel and if necesary the throttle is reduced.
Other often-overlooked modern safety features include:
- adaptive front headlight systems
- rain-sensing windshield wipers
- tire pressure monitoring systems.
You certainly don’t want to get into a car that doesn’t have seatbelts or airbags, but there are now sophisticated sensing systems working on your behalf to not just help you survive an accident but to avoid one all together.
(For more information on modern car safety features see: And You Thought Airbags Were Enough)
Posted on February 28th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: technology |
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