Cars and the Future

Humans are less than perfect. That doesn’t sit well with engineers, but it is the truth. This has come into sharp relief recently, as the Governors Highway Safety Association reported recently that the number of pedestrians dying in car accidents has risen, despite all of us driving fewer miles. They found that car accidents in general rose in the last year, and it is fairly easy to blame people driving distracted.

That is why smart technology must take some baby steps to fill in some of the little cognitive errors that can lead people into trouble.

Reducing Distractions

People can only concentrate on so much at one time. There is such a thing as inattentional blindness, where people don’t ‘see’ a thing simply because they are not paying attention to it. The car can come equipped with devices that combat this in two ways:

- Bring attention to something that should have it. A rearview camera is a good example of this. It can be plugged into the back plate and relay what is going on behind the car to the driver. This removes a blind spot, but only if the camera can flashlights to catch someone’s attention when something appears in front of the camera. This can avert many crashes, including little bumps.

- Block out more tempting options. Phones already can be answered on the front dashboard so that drivers don’t have to hunt for their phone on the off chance that the call is important. The solutions range from Bluetooth technology in the dashboard to add-ons to hold the phone. This allows people to see immediately if they need to answer the call or hit the ignore button, and that lets them focus on the road.

There are other ways to deal with this. A device could route calls to voicemail from preselected numbers, and devices could be installed to mute the noises from the back, eliminating arguments with the backseat drivers and bored children.

Increasing Communication

The other way to make people safer is to let them communicate better. Having the information you need when you need it is key to making good decisions.

This covers GPS technology on the dashboard and devices that quickly inform a driver about their environment. It includes sensors that report how inflated the tires are and on weather that might change driving conditions.

Another device for increasing communication is phone charging stations that allow people to always be able to call for help when they need to.

Installing noisemakers in a car that signal distress or that they are approaching someone is another safety addition.

There are other areas in need of improvement. The car could automatically make calls in an emergency and send location information with the GPS. The car dashboard can also be made to announce changed driving conditions instead of relying on someone looking down at their dashboard. All of this would reassure drivers that your vehicle is safe for them to drive.

Ways To Get There

We are constantly looking for ways to make cars safer. There is a bright future for engineers who take safety seriously.