More than 42,500 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Many of these incidents were related to human error. Driver assistance technologies are designed to help reduce crashes, keeping you, your passenger, other drivers, and pedestrians safe.
Keep reading to find out how they can help you and what to know when purchasing your next vehicle.
Driver Assistance Technologies
Manufacturers use different names for driver assistance technologies. Some technologies are designed to warn you if you’re at risk of an impending crash. Others are designed to take action to prevent a crash. You can always learn more about your vehicle by reading the owner’s manual to learn about how the specific technology works.
The NHTSA groups driver assistance technologies into these categories:
- Collision warning
- Collision intervention
- Driving control assistance
- Other systems
Collision Warning
These driver assistance technologies include forward collision, lane departure, rear cross traffic, and blind spot warnings. A forward collision warning system will monitor your vehicle speed, the speed of the vehicle in front of your vehicle, and the distance between the vehicles. If your vehicle gets too close to the vehicle ahead, it will warn you of an impending crash. Lane departure warnings alert you when your vehicle is drifting out of its lane. Rear cross traffic warnings alert you to potential collisions that may occur while in reverse that may be outside the view of your backup camera. Blind spot warnings alert you when there are vehicles in adjacent lanes you might not see when changing lanes.
Collision Intervention
Automatic emergency braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear automatic braking, and blind spot intervention are different types of collision intervention technologies. An automatic emergency braking system will apply the vehicle’s brakes automatically to avoid or mitigate an impending forward crash with another vehicle. Pedestrian automatic braking systems use details from forward sensors to detect a pedestrian in the vehicle’s path and applies automatic braking I the driver has not acted to avoid a crash. Rear automatic braking uses sensors to detect objects behind the vehicle and automatically applies the brakes if it detects a potential collision while in reverse. Blind spot intervention helps prevent a collision with a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot.
Driving Control Assistance
Adaptive cruise control will automatically adjust vehicle speed to keep a pre-set distance between it and vehicle in front of it. Lane centering assistance uses a camera-based system to monitor the vehicle’s lane position and applies steering inputs to keep the vehicle centered in its lane, while lane keeping assistance helps prevent the vehicle from unintentionally drifting from its lane.
Other driver assistance technology systems include automatic high beams, backup cameras, and automatic crash notifications to notify emergency responders when a crash occurs.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
