In many ways, the evolution of automotive technology has made cars safer. This started with things like seatbelts or airbags, which limited injuries and reduced the number of fatal accidents. But it now includes things like blindspot monitoring systems, lane assist warnings, adaptive cruise control, emergency braking systems and much more. Overall, these are known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
They do keep people safer, especially because they can eliminate some human errors – which are the leading cause of car accidents. For example, a blindspot monitoring system can alert a driver if they’re about to merge into another vehicle. A lane departure warning system can alert a distracted driver who is looking at their phone and doesn’t realize that they have accidentally driven into the oncoming lanes. Technology is always paying attention, even when humans aren’t.
Is there a downside?
That being said, experts do warn that this can be problematic. It allows people to get complacent and rely on their technology.
If a driver thinks that their car will automatically apply the brakes to avoid a crash, are they less worried about maintaining a proper following distance? If a driver fully trusts the backup camera, would that cause them to neglect to make a manual check of areas that are outside of the range of the camera?
In many cases, people become so confident that their cars are good at keeping them safe that they may not do what they can to increase their own safety. Ideally, people should be focusing on safety in every way that they can, and the car’s tech should be an added benefit.
Have you been injured?
This creates a difficult situation where technology makes cars safer, but drivers still may cause more accidents. If you have been injured in one of these crashes, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.