Car accidents have decreased considerably through the years, mostly due to additional safety features installed in newer vehicles. However, we can say that the general driving behaviour hasn’t improved much since road rage leads to an increase in car crashes. In the UK, some of the most dangerous driving areas include Lancashire and Cambridgeshire, where incident reports were greater than in 2022.
In most cases, drivers believe other road participants are at fault for accidents because tailgating and sudden braking are only their ways of teasing others, which are some of the worst driving habits. While fixing these behaviours might seem impossible, other participants can protect themselves from these interactions by packing their vehicles with extra safety features and having a proper driving attitude.
Still, what features are best for your car when it comes to assurance?
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
Adaptive cruise control works by adjusting the vehicle’s speed according to the road’s movement. It ensures the driver stays within the speed limit regardless of the route he’s taking and also keeps a safe distance from other participants.
The system is based on sensory technology in different car parts that sends data on the distance between the vehicles. Hence, when the system senses something is approaching too fast, it displays a warning sign on the dashboard so the driver is cautioned about a potentially dangerous situation.
ACC might help ease traffic flow, which would be considerably helpful for drivers, but it also helps prevent accidents, which usually end up in claiming for compensation based on https://www.accidentclaims.co.uk/personal-injury-compensation/car-accident-claims.
Automatic emergency braking
A human’s response to a sudden impediment might be too slow to avoid the accident, especially since drivers tend to go at full speed and step on the brake almost violently. That’s why adding the feature of automatic emergency braking would be better than relying on drivers’ attention span.
The AEB system identifies a possible danger when cars approach suddenly and activates the brake to slow the vehicle. The technology behind it includes radar, cameras and other methods. You must be wary of what AEB you choose because some work only at lower speeds, and if you tend to drive faster, it would be best to get one for your needs.
At the same time, it might happen for the AEB to be triggered by random activities, such as when tree shadows are in front of the vehicle, and the system detects it as another car. This can also happen with parked vehicles, metal road signs and steep driveways.
Blind spot detection
A car’s blind spot is among the most dangerous accident causes because no matter how much you’re looking, the risk of a vehicle behind you without you noticing it can increase the chances of an accident. This vision gap is even more dangerous when we’re talking about vans and trucks because a collision with them is fatal.
Hence, a blind spot detection system is an excellent method of minimising accidents. This feature is also based on sensors that warn you when changing lanes because a car is undoubtedly behind you. These alters are usually visual, audible and vibrant, so even if you’re tired while driving, chances are you’ll be more careful.
However, in most cases, it’s enough if you set your side mirrors at the perfect angle, showing more of what’s around you instead of the inside of the car. Still, this needs some training and trial and error because most cars have different mirror designs and configurations.
Forward collision warning
In the UK, the number of road collisions in 2022 led to 1,695 fatalities and almost 30,000 KSI casualties. Indeed, these statistics show a decline in road collisions compared to 2019 of only 3%. However, this doesn’t minimise the situation’s urgency.
Traffic collisions happen due to a lot of factors, from the weather, poor driving skills and alcohol impairment. What’s sure is that before the moment of the impact, there’s no chance of rational thinking that helps avoid the accident, so a forward collision warning is more efficient.
The system alerts you when a vehicle, a person or an obstacle is in front of your car, allowing you to brake or swerve. However, this won’t break the car for you, so you either pair this system with the braking one or simply lower your speed.
Lane departure warning
Another significant challenge while driving is people changing their lanes without any signal or speeding up, not offering enough time for other participants to avoid collisions or stop at the right time. Veering from one lane to another is incredibly dangerous, and most drivers don’t realise the implications of their negligence when not using their signals or speeding up
unnecessarily.
So, the lane departure warning is made to warn the driver when changing lanes, especially when you’re not turning your signals on. In the case when you’re not responding to the assistant, the car may take you back to your lane so you remain safe until you’re more cooperative.
There are more types of lane departure warnings on the market, some of which are activated by a button. However, others will automatically start when you turn on the car and start driving—still, most work by identifying the markings on the road and assessing where you’re standing.
Depending on the product you want to install, some lane departure products work only when reaching specific speeds considered dangerous. Others are custom-made for highway driving, where speeds are naturally higher, as well as the risks.
Final considerations
When people buy new cars, the first feature they want is for the vehicle to be speedy, have a nice colour and take them from one point to another in one piece. But when it comes to technical details about safety, most are considering they’re not that useful, believing they have control over their car. However, you can never trust the intense traffic these days, which is why equipping yours with as many of these features as possible is the best decision.