Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
During the next decade, our cars are expected to make quite the transition. Manufacturers are planning to equip our vehicles of the future with some pretty neat safety features, according to MSN Autos. But will they really improve roadway safety or prove to be malfunctioning distractions and increase our risks of serious car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere?Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that these new features come with good intentions, but as we’ve seen before, technology doesn’t always offer us a safer ride. Manufacturers and government officials reiterate that safety will always be a top concern and new features are designed with that in mind. Your car may not be able to drive all by its self, but designers hope that it will help to make your driving safer.
We’re already experiencing these changes, as many cars now have collision-mitigation systems, which use radar to identify when you’re getting too close to another object of if you’re going too fast. These systems are able to take control of your car to help you avoid an accident.
Other future technologies include:
-Rear-view cameras. These cameras have already been proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Rear-view cameras aim to reduce back-over accidents. They are already available in some models.
-Night-vision cameras and pedestrian-detection systems. These devices would allow you to see objects outside of your vehicle. The system would stop the vehicle if you come too close to one of the detected objects. The main focus of this technology is to avoid car-pedestrian accidents. While some high-end vehicles already come equipped with the technology, manufacturers expect these systems to be standard on new-model vehicles within the next 10 years.
-New-age cruise control. This is a cruise control that senses objects your approaching and can adjust your speed to ensure that you don’t hit them. This allows you to avoid resetting you cruise-control speed.
-Vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. This Wi-Fi technology will allow cars to talk with one another to help avoid car accidents. Your car will be able to know where surrounding cars are before you do.
-Connected vehicles. New technology will allow you to talk to your friends, surf the web, play some music and control your vehicle all with the sound of your voice. The technology will even talk back to you helping to make your trip easier and to keep your eyes on the road.
-Wi-Fi just for your car. Despite the government’s concern with distracted driving habits, car manufacturers are going ahead with this one. Car’s will soon be equipped with common apps, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pandora. These systems will also be operated through voice command.
-Less gas-guzzle. President Obama and his Administration recently made even more fuel-economy proposals that request that the industry aim at making cars with a 62 mpg rating by 2025. We can also expect more hybrid cars, more plug-ins and more battery operated vehicles.
These expected features all come with good intentions, but it’s important to remember that nothing can replace safe and cautious driving habits. Motorists are urged to remain alert at the wheel and make their best efforts to avoid a motor-vehicle accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.
Additional Resources:
10 Things Your Car Will Have By 2020, by Jessica Anderson of Kiplinger , MSN Autos
More Blog Entries:
Deadly Chicago area auto accident caused by wrong way driver, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, August 21, 2011
New Technology Aims to Curb Driver Distractions and Prevent Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, August 14, 2011