Throughout the years, the development of vehicle safety has revolutionized the automotive industry and created a far safer environment for new drivers on the road.
Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 are the most likely to be involved in a crash. This is due to the fact that most drivers of these ages are still learning the ropes of driving and are simply not as experienced as the vast majority of older drivers.
Another factor to consider with teenage drivers is the maturity level, or lack thereof. Most teens show symptoms of immaturity on the road through speeding, distracted driving and making risky decisions. These factors culminate in a system where teens are four times more likely to be liable in a car crash compared to drivers over the age of 20.
However, the fatality of teenage drivers has decreased substantially from 1975. A likely contributor to this is newer vehicles’ utilization of current technology that create a safer environment on the road. Some of these features include automatic braking, collision warnings and avoidance and improved airbag placement.
“I love my car’s safety features. One of them I admire is the automatic emergency braking. It’s saved me several times. Most recently, a car turned left in front of me, and my car’s emergency braking feature reacted much faster than me and prevented an incident,” shared senior Andres Bravo Garza.
These safety features are very important as high school students are statistically worse drivers. As safety features advances, teenage crash rates are expected to fall by as much as 75% in the next couple of years.
Advancements in vehicle safety also aid other drivers on the road that may suffer a health related emergency.
For instance, Volkswagen has developed a feature that allows the car to automatically drive. However, if the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain amount of time, the car will warn the driver, automatically pull over and call 911 if no correction ensues.
Volkswagen’s feature will help lower the staggering 328,000 accidents that occur every year due to drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
While these safety features certainly create a safer environment for drivers on the road, some people are hesitant with these features. “I love my mid 2000’s Buick due to how simplistic it is. With my dads new car, it has all these features that make the car so much more complicated,” shared Colin Reece, senior at Hononegah High School.
As cars begin to feature substantially more intricate equipment than cars developed 20 years ago, automotive technicians must prepare for more complicated repairs that are costing drivers 36.2% more in repair costs.
“Cars that carry more complicated computer components are genuinely more costly to repair. However, diagnosing issues in cars is far easier as almost every single system in a car has a computer module that controls it and communicates to the cars central module to diagnose and tell technicians what the problem is,” said CTE instructor Matt Stutenberg.
The automotive industry’s development involves a future that uses modern technology to establish safer roads for drivers, especially those lacking experience. As technology advances, the roads will be a far safer place for all parties involved.
