Automobile Safety Features - Research Paper Example

 Automobile Safety Features Introduction According to statistics, road carnage may end up causing more deaths that majority of non-communicable illnesses. Apart from deaths, road accidents are known to cause life-threatening injuries and in some case, the victims become incapacitated for the entire life. Still, accidents cause massive loss of property as vehicles are damaged beyond remedy. As such, it is clear that road accidents deny Americans many professionals and other important citizens together with properties. Due to this, many efforts have been put in place to curb the rising trend in road carnages. Such steps intend to enhance automobile safety as an overall effort to bring sanity in roads for safety of passengers, pedestrians and the property in general. Automobile safety is concerned with the study and practice of construction, design, equipment and regulation that are intended to minimize the incidence and consequences of automobile accidents. Road traffic safety more includes roadway design and application of relevant rules and regulations that reduce the chances of encountering road accidents. The purpose of this report is to establish various automobile safety features that can be incorporated so that to address the worrying trends in carnages and related adverse effect. As such, various methods of reducing dangers on the roads will be focused in order to come up with recommendations that are geared towards achieving accidents-free journeys on our roads. Further, the research intends to evaluate the effectiveness of each method applied to scale down the number of deaths on our roads. This basically means that the main focus would be the evaluation of the state of our roads and to provide solutions for solving the problems accordingly. This essay is aimed at discussing various methods that can be incorporated in the already safety measures in order to assure safety of road users. To do this, the report will bring into perspective numerous measures, components, design and technology that can be added to automobile structures to make them safer for human beings. To sum up the objectives, the article is all about road safety. Safety belts This method of has been used for a very long period of time. It is involves a non-mechanical seat devices that are designed to secure the occupant from harmful movement that may cause a collision leading to injuries. The seat belt works to reduce deaths and injuries by nullifying the effects of secondary impacts on the occupant. Furthermore, the seat belts are important in positioning the occupant where the impact of the airbag is maximum. As such, they work closely with the airbag to secure the occupant. Below is a photograph of commonly used seatbelts in America: Technology In the ancient times, the government focused on strict rules and regulations to stop road carnage. In this case, there was a general misconception that human being deliberately, through unwillingness to observe road safety rules, caused accidents. However, that is no longer the presumption: the government is focusing on incorporating new technology in ensuring that our roads are safe for drivers, pedestrians, passengers and other users. Among the technology used in America today is the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This technology has been proven to be very effective in prevention of sliding causing loss of control. The technology works by selectively applying brakes to several wheels that are most vulnerable to sliding in a particular case. When the wheels are stopped, the vehicle regains the balance and hence the stability is restored. According to Coase (2005), the ESC system has proven to be very helpful especially in preventing road carnage caused by slippery roads during rainy season. Furthermore, recent studies have credited the ESC as a potential technology that can save more than 1000 lives annually, Coase (2005). In this case, the Federal government has already made it compulsory for new automobiles to be fixed with the ESC system. Rear cameras have been incorporated in vehicles to help the driver have a close look at incidences happening behind the car. This backup component has helped to reduce accidents especially with children who play behind a car or rather run after the can oblivious of the dire consequences. Further, the driver can avoid being knocked from behind by other vehicles especially when the cars are speeding up back-to-back. In this case, the driver is able to see objects or children hidden in a vehicle’s rear blind zone. Protecting the passengers For a long time, the industry has focused on manufacturing automobiles that protects the passengers and other occupants from injuries after a clash. In this case, components such as airbags and safety belts have been given considerable emphasis as they are credited for saving life after a clash. In the current trends, the manufacturer is now focusing on measures to prevent car crash. According to Davis-Blake, Uzzi (1993), the automate role of the manufacture in safety concerns is the establishment of methods of detecting crashes prior to taking place and hence taking effective measures to prevent them. Pre-collision systems This technology was predominantly used in Mercedes-Benz and Lexus automobiles in America. Coase (2005) argues that the aspect of this condition is that it is able to sense a collision before hand and warns the driver appropriately. Further, the technology is important as the car adjusts all safety components in preparation for a huge impact. In this case, the safety of the occupant is maximized to prevent the shock emanating from the collision. The pre-collision system detects vehicles and other objects in front and hence sounds an alarm, display warning lights and takes other safety measures to save the lives of the occupants. The Pre-collision systems then takes protective steps such as completely charging the air bags and brakes, activating safety-belt pretensioners, closing windows, adjusting seat positions, and other measures for optimal air-bag effectiveness. Coase (2005) still finds some gap in the pre-collision system. In his article, he argues that an advanced system should be enacted to detect other objects, animals and pedestrians and therefore warns the drive of the impeding hazard. Further, Coase (2005) explains that highly sensitive cameras should be installed to watch if the drive is not attentive to potential dangers and hence sounds a warning so as the driver will watch and probably take measures to negotiate or brake the automobile. The sole purpose of the pre-collision technology is to totally prevent deaths and injuries through complete prevention of a crash. Unlike methods that are reactive techniques, this method is proactive and hence very effective in preventing deaths. The drive will receive updates on strategies to assimilate in effort to avoid various forms of accidents. If implement in the entire united state of America, experts declare that deaths resulting from road accidents will be scaled down by up to 75%, Contractor (2011). . Adaptive cruise control Initially, vehicles have been using speed limiters to maintain a safe speed that mitigates incidences of accidents. These speed limiters are mechanically controlled and hence cannot be used to prevent a case of accident. However, this is a thing of the past: in the current trend concerning speed, vehicles have been installed with sensors that are able to detect unsafe distance between a car and the one that is ahead. In this case, a technique known as the adaptive cruise control is used. The gadget incorporates components that can detect when the automobile has come too close to another car or an object. The sensor uses radar to monitor vehicles ahead. As such, if the sensor detects a car or an object that is too close, it automatically applies breaks to slow down the car and hence significantly reduces the impact. Still, the sensors can detect a car that is too close on the rear side and hence a signal is set for the car to accelerate and hence prevents chances of getting knocked from behind. This technique, however, has been criticized as it does not take into consideration that vehicles come very close to each other for the obvious reason of traffic jam. As such, drives declare that the technique is annoying as it abrupt their operations Run-flat tires According to Davis-Blake, Uzzi (1993), busting tires significantly contribute to a large number of fatal accidents. This is because once a speeding car experience a burst in one of the tires, the car looses balance and probably lands in a ditch or down a cliff. However, this has been catered for in the new technology scale down bursting-tire related accidents. In this case, tires are designed to maintain their inflated shape even after losing pressure. Davis-Blake, Uzzi (1993) adds that the tire in such condition can allow the car to drive for approximately 50 miles without posing the occupants to any danger. This tire innovativeness helps the driver in two major ways: they do not need to keep changing tires while in a hurry to cover a small distance and most crucial is that car crash emanating from deflated will be significantly reduced. However, critiques of these tires argue that the cost of replacing them is very high when compared to normal tires. Telecommunications and Computing Technology This idea has been copied from how planes are operated in the airway. The technology has combined computing technology and telecommunications in new cars to enhance safety of both the occupants and the car. The systems works just like the way aircrafts are operated. In this case, the car is monitored from a computer screen and hence the driver is given safety instructions and warnings against various risks. These instructions are issued from a control room and hence cars that are registered with the service provider are monitored for safety. In this case, the control room will press particular buttons to give commands and subsequent warnings to the driver. This method, however, is only applicable among very important persons (VIP) as it is very expensive. Since the user of the service requires to be paying regular subscription fee, it is a prestigious option that is within the reach of the rich. Other methods Other trends in road safety include Blind-spot detection. In this case, vehicles are installed with signal detectors that warn the driver when changing lanes in blind spot areas. The technology incorporates radars and cameras that work in a coordinated manner to detect when the driver is approaching a blind zone. Night vision technology enables the driver to see animals, objects, and people beyond the reach of a car’s headlights. Traction control helps keep two-wheel-drive vehicles to move in slippery conditions. Lastly, the Rollover mitigation augment stability determines if the vehicle is toppling up on two wheels. If an imminent rollover is detected, the technique stability control applies convenient braking to suppress the roll motion Conclusion As it has been indicated, road safety is very important as it saves life and property. The economy solely depends on road safety to ensure that various factors of production are safely transported from one place to another. In this case, the role of road safety is indispensible in our society. The essay has indicated various traditional methods of ensuring road safety. They include strict rules and regulation and ensuring that only roadworthy vehicles roll on the roads among others. Since these ancient methods have proven to be inadequate, manufacturers are everyday pursuing improved technology to bring back safety on our roads. Some of the technology includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision system and blind sport detection among other. However, the article has shown that most of the new technology is not applicable as it is beyond the reach of many automobile owners. This report is significant as it prompts further research and study to be conducted in order to devise with suggestions on how to tame the escalating rates of road carnages. Reference Coase, K., (2005). Safety puzzle answered by technology . University of Strathclyde, 1(5), pp. 1-15. Contractor, F. J. (2011). Road safety: measures and the way forward. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Davis-Blake, A. & Uzzi, B. (1993). Technological aspect of Road Safety. Administrative Science Quarterly, 38 (2), 195. Read More