Technology — especially cell phones and texting technologies — gets a bad rap when it comes to safety while driving. Of course, it’s not the technology that’s unsafe — it’s people and their need to multi-task. While a number of states have moved to curtail drivers from dialing or texting while driving the effectiveness of the laws is yet to be seen. Yet in trying to stamp out unsafe use of technology, it’s important to keep in mind that technology can be used to make driving safer, too. Technologies developed to help drivers include:
Blind Spot and Cross-Traffic Detection: Blind spot detection features identify people, other vehicles or objects within vehicles’ blind spots and instantly warn drivers. Similarly, cross-traffic detection systems detect vehicles, people or objects in a vehicle’s path while backing out of a parking space and alert the driver.
Driver Recognition System: This allows different drivers the ability to program various vehicle settings such as seat and mirror positions, climate control and stereo settings that can all be activated when the driver enters a vehicle.
Night Vision System: This technology provides the driver with a high-beam image of the road ahead – without distracting other drivers – using an infrared light beam that is invisible to the human eye. An on-board camera is used to capture images up to 500 feet away that are then presented on a display in the vehicle’s cockpit.
Parking Assist System: Parking assist systems help drivers park backward or parallel park using a built-in computer and small sensors located at the rear of the vehicle. After confirming feasibility of targeted parking position, the vehicle’s parking movements would be done automatically.
As exciting as these technologies are, car makers have to make them available, and people have to know about them for their benefits on the road to be realized. A recent Harris Interactive survey showed familiarity with advanced vehicle intelligent sensing features is very low among American drivers, with fewer than one-in-10 saying they are very familiar with the features.
Despite low familiarity, more and more drivers say they are likely to purchase these features for their next new vehicle, according to the same poll. Although only 6 percent indicate they are extremely or very familiar with blind spot and cross-traffic detection systems, one-quarter of drivers said they would be extremely or very likely to purchase this for their next vehicle. The same percentage would consider buying a night vision system. Twenty-two percent said they would be interested in buying a driver recognition system.
“Although these technologies are not well-known today, expect many of them to become commonplace over the next few years,” said Dave Pulaski, vice president of automotive and transportation for Harris Interactive. “Once consumers learn about these features and their benefits, they will clamor for them.”
All of this suggests that if automakers and suppliers educated consumers more about these technologies, interest may increase. Perhaps some cell phone calls and text messages with encouragement for car makers from the insurance industry would help — but please keep texting/calling off-road.
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