In-car safety features one of the fastest growing trends
Safety features for cars have certainly improved and advanced over the last thirty years. From seat belts and airbags to headrests, anti-lock brake systems, traction and electronic stability control, and many more – each of these advancements has been aimed at reducing the number of fatalities, or the severity of injuries, in the unfortunate event that a driver and passengers are involved in a collision. And, these advancements are continuous.
With the advent of new digital technologies, we have noticed three technology-driven trends that will influence consumers’ choices on which cars they buy over the next few years, these include:
Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
These are built-in systems and features that have been designed to provide the driver with important information and – to some extent – automate difficult or repetitive driving tasks. To date, ADAS includes features like adaptive GPS navigation, cruise control, hill descent control, intelligent speed adaptation, lane departure warning systems, adaptive light control, night vision, adaptive braking, rear view assist, parking assist, and collision avoidance systems, for example.
In-car health monitoring systems
Building on from the growing number of ADAS, in-car health monitoring systems incorporate biometric technologies – such as iris and facial recognition, heart rate monitoring, etc. The idea behind this technology is to use biometric identifiers to monitor the health state of the driver – including drowsiness or fatigue, or an abnormal change in heart rate – and alert the driver by way of a warning system.
Automotive vehicle-to-everything (V2E) technology
Vehicle-to-everything technology can offer a number of useful applications, as it is built on the premise of technology that enables cars to communicate effectively with its surroundings, including for example, with other nearby vehicles, traffic lights and pedestrians. This technology also enables the car to receive updates on real-time traffic and alerts around accidents, or any other issues on the driver’s route – for a truly connected and smart car experience.
Many of these technologies are still in the early stages of development and, currently, massive and widespread adoption of these additional safety features is being hindered by challenges around investment cost versus vehicle pricing, as well as consumer education. However, these technologies are advancing quickly and are expected to see significant growth in adoption after 2020. In addition, these technologies will play an important role in getting the market – including regulators, consumers and businesses – ready for widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs) or driverless cars in the future.
