How Vehicle Safety Standards Have Evolved Over the Last 20 Years

The standards set for vehicle safety have grown immensely over the last 20 years. It’s done so despite push-back even from automobile manufacturers and the auto industry. Many were famously against seatbelts before they became mandatory. Now, it’s understood that safety standards adopted over the last century have prevented hundreds of thousands of injuries and deaths to both pedestrians, drivers and passengers.

Safety and Prevention

If the earlier years of vehicle safety standards did stress safety, the improvements over the last two decades stress prevention. That means not just preventing injury or death during an accident, but stopping the accident from occurring in the first place. These safety standards are largely possible because of advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies. Here are some of the newer safety protocols that have occurred since the early years of the 21st century.

Blind Spot Monitoring

One of the drawbacks of driving is the blind spot, where you can’t see what’s to the side or what’s behind you unless you turn your head. Ignoring the blind spot can lead to accidents, as you or another driver try to change lanes or merge into a lane. Even taking your eyes off the road for the second it takes to check your blind spot can be problematic. Blind spot monitoring lets your vehicle warn you that there’s someone in the blind spot just behind your car. This type of technology relies on cameras and other sensors. Some more advanced systems can even return your car from the edge of the lane to the center without your input.

Electronic Stability Control

Electronic stability control is a complex system with sensors, a computer and a way to take control of the car to prevent an accident. Sensors detect when your car is not obeying your commands and is going out of control. When this happens, the system gently applies the brakes and/or lowers the engine power. This prevents skids, slides and spinning out on wet or icy roads.

Lane Departure Warning

Drowsy driving is almost as hazardous as drunk driving. When you drive when you’re drowsy you’re at risk of drifting out of your lane. The lane departure warning helps you avoid this by either causing a warning on the dashboard to beep, or vibrating your seat or steering wheel. This technology depends on the ability to detect bright lane lines. Because of this, it doesn’t work as well on roads that lack lane markings, are covered with snow or obscured by fog.

Backup Cameras

Everyone’s heard terrible stories about a driver who thought the back of their car was clear, then reversed and caused a catastrophe because they couldn’t see a child or a pet. In less dire mishaps they could have run over an object that punctured a tire or dented the back fender. Backup, or rearview cameras simply use a camera to let the driver see objects behind the car that they otherwise couldn’t see. Some backup camera systems also have sensors that help you see blind spots, or back into parking spaces more efficiently.

Autonomous Emergency Brakes

Also called AEB, this system uses a combination of lasers, cameras and radar to activate the brakes when it senses an obstacle ahead. It does this if the driver doesn’t activate the brakes themselves. AEB can avoid a collision and a trip to a car accident lawyer. If a collision is inevitable, the AEB might lessen its severity.

The Role of AI in Vehicle Safety Standards

Though it’s new and not perfect, artificial intelligence is contributing more and more to vehicle safety systems. AI can not only enhances the systems mentioned above but helps with car maintenance and the design of the vehicles themselves. Timely maintenance and good design also contribute to driving safely.