The Top 10 Auto & Car Safety Developments of the Last Decade

From 1999 to 2009, the automobile world has seen great advances in the development of safety devices and components that are available to consumers. While previous generations wanted vehicles that were faster and sportier, current generations are much more concerned about safety – which has helped to reduce the number of automobile related fatalities and insurance claims in the latter part of the last century. A recent report generated by the “Insurance Institute for Highway Safety” indicates that three times as many vehicles made their list of “Top Safety Picks” than in 2007, indicating that automobile manufacturers are placing much more emphasis in keeping the consumer safe.

Let’s review the top ten automobile safety developments of this past decade:

1.    Roll Cages. Every automobile designed today starts with an interior metal frame, called the “cage” that is meant to maintain the structure of the vehicle and protect passengers in the event of a collision. Seatbelts, seats and other passenger related devices are mounted strategically to the cage to ensure the vehicle provides the ultimate in safety. Today’s vehicle designs integrate steel cages that can withstand tremendous impact before the integrity of the vehicle is compromised. The cage also handles the stress of a vehicle should it roll during an accident, ensuring that the roof doesn’t collapse on passengers.

2.    Tire pressure sensors. Since a high number of automobile accidents are caused by poorly inflated or punctured tires, one of the top safety devices of this decade is the on-board tire pressure sensor system. This system alerts a driver when there is a problem so they can seek immediate resolution. Some vehicles even come equipped with automatically inflating tires which will remain inflated long enough to help the vehicle pull over safely for inspection and repair. This safety device can and will prevent many unexpected tire “blow-outs” that are the cause of numerous accidents on the nation’s highways.

3.    Adaptive cruise control. The cars of this decade have been designed to “learn” our driving habits so that they can respond effectively to our needs, instead of the older clunkier push button styles of cruise control. This means a car’s response time when a sudden stop is required, is better.  Its also much less likely that the car will speed up erratically when ‘resume’ is pressed.

4.    Blind spot warnings. So many accidents are caused by what’s known as the “blind spot”; an area in a driver’s peripheral vision that is very difficult to monitor. New cars are equipped with special sensors that alert drivers when there is another vehicle in that blind spot, which should help to avoid innumerable costly side collisions and road rage incidents.

5.    Rear view cameras. Since the advent of larger sports utility vehicles, it has become more necessary for drivers to have some means to see behind them to avoid backing into or over someone. Accordingly, the rear view camera was invented – a genius safety device that has prevented literally thousands of unnecessary accidents.

6.    On-board emergency response. No driver can be sure when they may have an accident or roadside emergency so one of the smartest safety devices invented in the last decade has been the on-board emergency response system. Many major vehicle manufacturers now install this system with the purchase of a new car, and it has made a tremendous difference in people’s ability to drive smart.

7.    GPS Systems. Sure, it’s important to be able to find specific addresses while traveling and that’s why so many people purchased GPS devices for their vehicles. Essentially, a GPS unit is great for saving on fuel, and locating services and addresses quickly without having to fumble for a paper map while driving. However, one of the neatest features of the GPS system today is that if you get lost while traveling in your vehicle or you break down on a deserted back road in the middle of the night, someone can find you. Now isn’t that safety at your fingertips?

8.    Dual airbags with passenger sensors. Airbags save lives. Newer vehicles manufactured in this decade also include airbags to keep passengers safe, and manufacturers have taken it one step further by adding seat sensors to inflating when small children are in the car seats. So the airbags of today are drastically more effective at saving lives.

9.    Headlight advancements. It pays to be able to see well at night, especially in poor weather. The headlights of today’s automobiles provide much better light that promotes clearer night vision. These vehicles result in less glare to oncoming drivers. Some cars are even equipped with smart headlights that not only turn on when its gets dark, but they change direction to avoid shining in the eyes of others when passing.

10.    Wake up warnings. People today often drive exhausted, due to numerous economic and social factors. That means many people fall asleep at the wheel causing horrific accidents. Fortunately, an innovative wake up warning system has been designed to alert drivers with loud alarms, when they nod off, thereby preventing these types of accidents from occurring.

The advances of today’s vehicles are astounding as compared to the vehicles our parents and grandparents drove. If you are unsure what safety devices your car has, be sure to check with the manual and explore what your car manufacturer is doing to keep you safe every time you sit behind the wheel.

If you know of some other developments that we’ve missed or if you have ideas of future developments you’d like to see, please leave a comment and let us know.

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