We spend a considerable amount of time in our vehicles. Whether on long or short distances, riding in a vehicle means we are at risk of being in a collision or accident. Considering modern vehicles’ speeds, modern-day collisions come with significant damage.
In Kenya, phrases like “today’s cars are too soft” and “ni za mabati”(they are made of aluminum roofing sheets) are prevalent. It is a widespread belief, especially among the old guard, that cars have become way too soft and unsafe, unlike the older ones made of solid metal.
Let us take a peek into the world of automotive safety and find out, just how safe are our cars?
Automakers are currently putting a hearty effort to guarantee your safety by preventing a crash in the first place. The approach has shifted from safety in the event of a crash to prevention of crashes altogether. Most of these features are not standard to all cars but a keen buyer will look for them in their next car.
Among the features are:
1. Autonomous Emergency Braking
With the number of sensors and computers on the majority of modern cars, it has become possible to program cars to engage the emergency brake in hazardous decisions. Cars can sense the distances and speeds of cars ahead and brake automatically in the event the ahead vehicle stops abruptly. This system also watches out for obstacles that may have eluded the drivers’ vision and most importantly, pedestrians.
2. Radar and Night vision
Radar technology and infrared cameras are used to provide additional safety in cars by alerting drivers of any obstacles that are not visible to the human eye. This includes animals crawling from vegetation in the dark, and objects that do not reflect the car’s headlights. Don’t you feel safer knowing your car provides an extra set of eyes for you?
3. Lane Assist
Most modern vehicles can read road markings and sense when a driver is veering out of the lane or swerving due to fatigue or loss of concentration. The car then warns the driver of the departure or intervenes to correct the trajectory in urgent instances.
4. ESC and ABS
Although these aren’t the newest features, they still play a big role in modern car safety. ABS sends a pulsating signal to the brakes when emergency braking is applied. This pulsating mitigates the risk of wheels locking and the car skidding towards danger.
ESC; the Electronic Stabilization Protocol, senses and corrects slip in tires that have inadequate grip by sending power to the wheels that have grip only thus avoiding spinning.
In the event of an unavoidable accident, cars have further technology to ensure lives are not lost such as:
a. Crumple zones
Contrary to the belief of most, cars folding up “like tin foil” is the best thing that could happen in the event of an accident. The crumpling is designed to be controlled and away from the passenger-carrying section of the car. As the crumples, the force from the impact in accidents is absorbed by the body panels. In an event where the car does not crumple this force is entirely absorbed by the bodies inside the car. When you see a mangled wreck of a car, chances are the mangling is what kept occupants from being killed instantly.
b. Rigorous testing
Before a vehicle is released to the public, extensive safety testing is performed on a sample of the cars. The testing is done to assess the performance of the cars in various accident scenarios. The simulations are done at varying speeds and with different impact positions. The information on the NCAP safety rating of all new models is then published you are free to check how a specific vehicle you are interested in performs before buying it.
In the event a car performs poorly, the company goes back to the drawing board and makes the necessary adjustments. It is somewhat relaxing to know that whatever car you buy has its behavior in the event of collision studied and ensured to meet a certain standard.
c. Safety belts
Tested, Approved, and trusted. Seatbelts save lives. Put on your safety belts, ALWAYS!
d. Airbags
Airbags serve as a secondary restraint option after safety belts. When a collision is sensed, airbags rapidly deploy and safeguard critical organs in your body from impact. Various airbags include Steering airbags, curtain airbags, and dashboard airbags. Some cars even come with seat airbags.
Scary as road accidents and incidents may be, Cars have come a long way in terms of ensuring the safety of their occupants. Always adhere to traffic rules and maintain a reasonable speed. Bearing this in mind, you have nothing to fear about traveling in your vehicle. There are still more advancements coming, but car safety tech has come a long way.
Be safe, the roads might be dangerous.
