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10 Latest Life-Saving Car Safety Features

You've found a car of the perfect size at just the right price. But, how well will your new car fare if a safety test is conducted? Is your car designed to protect you and your neighbour on the road? We have already written an article on the safety technologies in cars that we take for granted. Now, here's our pick of the top ten life-saving car safety features which we hope will sooner or later be entrenched in each and every car. Enjoy a safe read!

Drowsiness Detector

This is an innovative feature that the 2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class flaunts. The Attention Assist, an array of sensors that continuously monitor over 70 different parameters to detect exhaustion and fatigue can save a life in this era where everyone including drivers is overworked. Drowsiness on the driving seat is detected and a coffee cup icon pops up. If the driver doesn't pay heed, there's also the "Time for a rest?" message appearing on the dashboard. This message can't be ignored, as it is accompanied by a ringing bell that will in an instant pull the reckless driver out of drowsiness.

Lane Keeping Assist

Who follows lanes in a country like ours? Everyone is in a hurry and wants to get to the destination even if it means putting the neighbour in trouble. Fortunately, there's hope that many cars will soon come with warnings to keep drivers from drifting into the next lane. The Mercedes Benz E-Class houses a camera inside the front windshield that recognizes lane markings. If the system detects unintentional lane departure, the steering wheel vibrates thrice, similar to driving over rumble strips, thus forcing the driver to follow his lane.

Wrong Way Driver

As long the destination is reached faster, nobody cares even if one has to drive in the opposite direction on one-way road. Nobody wants to take a U-turn and go all the way to reach somewhere on the opposite side of the road. Short cuts are the fastest, but not the best. BMW has developed a system to prevent motorists from entering a highway in the wrong direction and to warn other drivers of the potential danger. Through the car's navigation system, the technology sends both audible and visual warnings when it detects that a driver is about to join a road in the wrong direction. If the motorist keeps going, priority shifts to warning other drivers through the map on their navigation systems, using wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Inflatable Seat Belts

Ever heard of air bags in the seatbelts? The next-generation Ford Explorer which is believed to go into production very soon will feature these inflatable seat belts. The feature has been accommodated to better protect rear-seat occupants. Many cars have seatbelts and airbags. But this car will have the airbags in the seatbelts. When the crash sensors detect an impact, an air bag inside the seatbelt which is filled with cold compressed gas bursts through the belt fabric, thus distributing the crash force energy across more of the passenger's upper body.

Traffic Jam Cam

Radio jockeys offer entertainment while on the drive and they give traffic updates too. But, those updates are based on the info that commuters on those particular streets give. Visteon has come up with a new mobile application that's currently available on iTunes for $2.99. This app lets users see current traffic conditions on highways and major roadways, instead of relying on time-delayed radio traffic reports. Something accurate! Right now, it is sold as an application for handheld portable devices, but sooner or later it could be integrated directly into cars, says its developer, Visteon.

Collision Warning with Brake Assist

Yet another car-safety technology that can save lives by avoiding rear-end crashes. This technology has been brought into effect by the use of adaptive cruise control. Radar sensors detect slower-moving vehicles ahead and send a visual "heads-up" signal followed by an audible warning to warn the driver of a collision risk. If the driver doesn't react quickly or decisively enough, the system can even activate the brakes automatically. The technology is already entrenched in several high-end cars, like the Mercedes E-class, but is also available in the 2010 Ford Taurus.

Blind-Spot Detection

There are areas of the road that cannot be seen while looking forward or through either the rear-view or side mirrors while driving. The most common are the rear quarter blind spots, areas towards the rear of the vehicle on both sides. Vehicles in the adjacent lanes of the road that fall into these blind spots may not be visible using only the car's mirrors. A new radar technology alerts drivers of vehicles in their blind spot by illuminating an icon in the side view mirror and sounding a chime. First introduced by Volvo, it is now available in many other cars, including the Ford Taurus. The system gives the driver a visible alert when switching lanes and a vehicle in the rear has entered the car's blind spot. Two door-mounted lens check the blind spot area in the event of a forthcoming collision.

Rear Traffic Crossing

Traffic on the narrow roads gets denser by the day. In some places, roads are getting broadened and flyovers are getting constructed for the very same reason. But, where is the place for parking? Cars have to be literally squeezed in, and, when backing out of a space in a parking lot, it can be tough to see past large vehicles. The all-new radar system, activated any time the car is in reverse, warns the driver of traffic crossing behind the car using illuminated icons on the side view mirror and an audible chime.

Pedestrian Detection

Volvo's new S60 comes with this radar system. It monitors to detect pedestrian in front of the car. If the answer is positive, the system immediately warns the driver. If the driver does not respond on time, the brakes get automatically slammed, thus avoiding a collision. The driver first gets an audible warning combined with a flashing light in the windshield's head-up display. The technology can avoid a collision with a pedestrian at speeds up to about 35 km an hour. At faster speeds, it will at least minimize the severity of the impact.

Enhanced Heads-Up Display

GM and several universities are working on a next-generation heads-up display that combines the use of navigation, night vision and lasers to illuminate the road in low visibility. The origin of the name 'Heads-Up Display' stems from the user being able to view information with his head up and looking forward, instead of angled down looking at lower instruments. Infrared cameras in the car identify where the edge of the road is, and lasers paint that image on the glass windshield. The system can also identify and highlight animals or pedestrians that aren't visible to the naked eye. It can even highlight speed limit signs. So, no more of those "I didn't see the sign" excuses are gonna work.

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