Some of the new technology being put in modern cars is just for fun and convenience, like the DVD screens and Bluetooth connectivity. However, a lot of it is geared at making the roads safer by helping people and their vehicles avoid accidents.
For instance, Volvo has been working on a Driver Alert system, and the goal of the system is to see if the driver has become tired or distracted. If so, the car will alert the driver and bring his or her attention back to the road. It works similarly to lane departure warning systems, which detect the lanes that drivers are supposed to be in and warn them if they stray outside of the paint.
Other systems monitor traffic ahead of the car and see if vehicles have come to a sudden stop. Some of these systems can then apply the brakes, meaning the car will start to slow down before the driver knows that anything is wrong.
In some cases, technology just helps drivers see. Front-mounted cameras can help to monitor traffic and provide different views, and backup cameras can give drivers a view of the ground and the road that they could never get with just a mirror. The more information that a driver has about the world around the car, the better the chances a wreck can be avoided.
However, all the technology being used today still can't fully eliminate the biggest cause of car accidents: driver error. If you've been injured in an accident in Hudson, Wisconsin, take a moment to learn what rights you may have to compensation.
Source: Traffic Technology Today, "Intelligent cars avoid accidents," accessed June 15, 2015