Connecticut Auto Insurance: Technology Makes Driving Easier

Connecticut Auto Insurance: Technology Makes Driving Easier

Cars are a great showcase for the latest emerging technology. And lately, car tech has gone beyond the fancy Bluetooth and voice-activated Facebook updates to instead focus on safety. Here are some of the newest technologies, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal.

Inflatable seatbelt. Safety-technology suppliers and auto makers have developed shoulder straps with airbags built in. Ford Motor Co. and Mercedes-Benz both offer it on certain new models. The idea improves on the current seatbelt. Although traditional lap and shoulder belts prevent thousands of deaths a year, they also cause “seat-belt syndrome.” The safety mechanism can lead to severe injuries to organs, muscles, and spines especially in violent crashes. Inflatable seat belts are meant to reduce this risk.

Night vision. Driving at night is inherently dangerous. Traffic deaths are three times greater at night than during the day. As safety regulators are increasingly focusing on pedestrian safety, (More than 4,000 pedestrians die each year after being hit by a car), they are developing technology to combat that. One example is BMW; known as “dynamic-spotlight” technology, it uses an infrared camera mounted behind the grille to see the road. The software picks out the outline of a person or animal and signals the car’s headlights to illuminate them and help prevent a collision, and there is an in-camera alert as well.

Computers. Vehicles have traditionally involved a series of mechanical connections that allow the wheel to guide the four wheels on the road. The latest technology, known as a steer-by-wire system, switches the mechanical elements with an all-electronic system. The electronic signal is faster than a mechanical linkage, and allows drivers to choose between four different degrees of serenity or sportiness in the handling of the vehicle. And, if the electric system fails, there is a backup mechanical-linkage system to take control.

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