Safety is a fundamental part of a car, both in accident prevention and for protection in the unfortunate instance of a traffic accident. In fact, research shows the correct functioning of air bags alone could reduce the number of deaths on the road by half. Fortunately, in recent years numerous technological changes have been introduced to help guarantee both the driver’s safety and that of any passengers in the car.

One of the most novel ideas regarding safety involves evaluating the effectiveness of a system that integrates air bags, ABS and ESP. This system is based on a series of sensors that precisely determine all the impact dynamics in an accident – essentially the speed and direction of the hit. Based on this system the car is not only stopped, but the air bags are deployed intelligently, taking into consideration the weight of the person they are protecting and their position inside the car.

This idea is based on a previous system, ‘Secondary Collision Mitigation’, which is capable of detecting an impact and automatically activating the brakes to decrease the speed of the car and minimise the force of any second collision.

Of course, ideally the first collision would be prevented. There are several projects currently being undertaken to deal with such a situation. One of these includes the use of sensors installed on the front and sides of the car, able to detect a possible accident and automatically stop the car before a collision could occur. This system is based on a ‘perimeter radar’ that can detect the presence of objects and people and either warn the driver or brake automatically. For more information on the latest car safety features available contact your local car dealer.

A similar project currently being developed is a traffic vision system called ‘Adaptive and Cooperative Technologies for Intelligent Traffic’. Its objective is to detect all traffic signals, vehicles and pedestrians, in the interests of advising the driver - or even taking the most appropriate decision itself.

A large proportion of traffic accidents are due to human error, often because factors like tiredness and fatigue do not allow the driver to react with the swiftness required by the situation. Because of this, one of the principal approaches for research into road safety is to create a car that can respond rapidly and effectively when human reflexes fail.

Jesse Wallace writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.