Each year auto manufacturers add safty features that are certain to drive down accidents and save lives, yet each year the number of accidents rise. The unexpected rise is primarily due to distracted driving. The quest to reduce accidents reamins a primary focus of car manufacturers and they are working. Without the new features, accidents would be skyrocketing to levels far higher than they are.
While we won’t likely see the self-driving vehicle become a reality in this new decade, many of the features that are used in the self-driving car will certainly become mainstream. Here are 4 technologies that we will see in cars this decade. You will see more cameras, sensors and radar. These will all be part of an effort to give the driver more information and assistance while driving for safety and convenience.
360 Vision
The rear view camera is standard in most cars these days, giving the driver much better visibility in rear blind spots. New technology will drive up the number of cameras, that will take the information and merge the view from each camera with a computer, and give the driver a 360-degree view. You’ll have one look that covers the entire vehicle surroundings.
Adaptive cruise control is a greatly improved version of the cruise control we know today. The big difference is that this new cruise control adjusts itself when vehicles in front of the vehicle slow down. Once set, the vehicle will slow and accelerate with traffic up to the maximum speed chosen by the driver. As this feature becomes less expensive, it will likely be on every vehicle made. The convenience and safety of it in traffic are too valuable to be ignored.
The adaptive cruise control is a stepping stone towards the self-driving vehicle. The down side of this technology is that early signs show that it increases the likelihood of distracted driving. When drivers turn the responsibility of driving over to the car, it appears they quickly get bored and pursue other interests.
Night vision cameras are being tested to improve the night visibility and keep pedestrians safe at night. These cameras have pedestrian detection software that will assist the driver to detect pedestrians and other obstacles at night.
Another feature taken from the self-driving technology, is the V2V communication between vehicles. The vehicles of the future will communicate with each other and share speed, direction and location. This will allow the car to calculate the likelihood of an accident and either alert the driver or take action to avoid accidents.
As these new vehicles become mainstream, it becomes increasingly more important that you choose an auto body shop that has the tools and training to return these vehicles to pre-accident condition. If these new sensors, cameras and computers are part of the decisions we make and possibly even take over part of driving, it is imperative that they are calibrated correctly. This takes very special tools and training that most auto body shops just don’t have. You can be certain that all of the Collision Pros locations in Northern California in Auburn, Chico, Paradise, Woodland and Red Bluff have the training and the equipment to put your car back to its appropriate factory settings. These cars are not the same cars of years past. You need to do your homework and use a shop that understands the latest technology. Use Collision Pros where we do our best to get it right, on time, every time.
