What’s Coming Next In Car Safety? 5 Areas To Keep An Eye On
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| What’s Coming Next In Car Safety? 5 Areas To Keep An Eye On |
The last few days have marked a global change in many practices, industries, and modes of operation. This may be especially true for transportation, which has undergone major changes due to national roadblocks, reduced passengers, working from home, and other restrictions.
But now many new areas are emerging, particularly when it comes to security. Read on to discover five key ways that driving and transportation can change, become safer, and adapt to the 'new normal.
1: ‘Safe Exit Assist’ Technology
The first imminent change in car safety is the launch of 'Safe Exit Assist technology. This can include cameras, sensors, and other details designed to enhance safety when exiting the vehicle.
Opening a car door can be dangerous for the person leaving the vehicle, for example, if a motorcyclist, another driver, or a bicyclist passes by and injures himself or others. This is an especially common problem when parking is near a bike path or in particularly congested urban areas.
The technology is designed to make exiting the car safer not only for those who leave the car but also for everyone around. More manufacturers are exploring the possibility of incorporating this technology in new vehicles, hoping to reduce the current serious safety problem.
2: Increased Cleanliness & Hygiene
Many drivers, whether they use their car for work or personal use, are investing in ways to keep their cars clean and sanitary in light of the global pandemic.
This could mean wearing masks, sanitary gloves, cleaning solutions, antibacterial wipes, and more, but it could also evolve into more permanent solutions, such as creating a built-in area in a car designed to transport such materials.
More sophisticated onboard ventilation and sanitation systems could be developed, as well as more widely practiced cleaning routines. In many cases, these are already a requirement of employers using professional drivers.
The increase in cleanliness and hygiene is expected to be implemented more widely, and may even start to affect car manufacturing.
3: A Growth In Professional Drivers
The rise of professional drivers on the road has been a less discussed safety issue, while other regular drivers, such as those who commute to work or parents who drive to school, maybe homebound.
While professional drivers may be safer than regular drivers because they may have undergone specialized training, their increases can lead to more congestion on the roads.
Many people have realized the reasons for using specialized couriers or delivery services, whether for personal or business use, and this has changed both the number and type of drivers on the road.
This is expected to affect road safety in the future, and it remains to be seen whether the roads will be less congested as they return to normal, or whether they will be more congested due to the continued use of professional drivers and delivery vehicles.
4: Augmented Reality
While it has not yet been widely deployed, new technologies such as augmented reality and thermal imaging are expected to soon become important in-car safety devices.
Augmented reality can be used to project images into the driver's field of vision, highlighting real-life dangers such as waiting for pedestrians to cross, dangerous vehicles, or sudden potholes in the road.
Thermography is also being used in new car manufacturing to reduce the dangers of driving in poor visibility.
While these new technologies may still be in the testing phase, or only available in newer, higher-end cars, they are expected to gradually become cheaper and more available over time.
5: Driver Monitoring
The use of driver control software and systems is expected to have a major impact on the future of automobile safety. For example, a driver control system may include a cruise control system, speed and braking cameras, software, or enhancements.
New technologies will be able to tell if a driver has stopped responding, such as during a medical emergency. They will also be able to understand that the driver is not paying attention to the road or maybe drunk.
More sophisticated systems will still be able to initiate a safety response, such as slowing down, moving to a safe place to stop, or calling for help.
Whether through radical changes in technology and new manufacturing practices, driver choice, or general driving and transportation, the next few years are expected to be a global effort to make our roads and cars safer than ever.