Early automobiles were not very safe at all. The goal was not to keep people safe from bodily injury, but simply to create a functional vehicle to replace the horse and carriage. This meant that the fatal accident rates soared in the early days of automobiles in the United States. Fatalities increased dramatically from the 1910s to the 1970s.
They began to come down when auto safety technology was implemented. The seatbelt was revolutionary, as was the airbag. Crumple zones also help to dissipate energy in a crash. This type of technology acknowledges that car accidents are going to happen, and the safety systems seek to reduce the severity of injuries – along with preventing fatalities. A seatbelt won’t stop a crash, but it can save a life.
Modern technology
These types of safety systems are still used and important, of course. But modern technology has a bit of a different focus. Many new systems are aimed at preventing accidents from happening in the first place.
Take, for example, a blind spot monitoring system. It can turn on a light on the car’s side mirror and play an audible signal for the driver to alert them that another vehicle is in their blind spot. If the driver still merges and causes an accident, the monitoring system doesn’t protect them at all. But if the driver gets the alert and waits to merge until that car passes, the accident is entirely avoided. The other safety systems – seatbelts, airbags, etc. – don’t even have to be used.
This new technology can make cars safer, but accidents do still happen. Those who have been injured need to know how to seek financial compensation.