The intent in this paper is to discuss some of the current safety features of automobiles. Some of these are standards, such as safety belts, while others are on the leading edge of electronic technology.
Some of the features that people have become accustomed to having on their cars are some of the most useful in enhancing safety. For example, seat belts are probably the single most useful safety feature, as long as they are used. Features that were innovative in their time, like seat belts, and air bags, have played a substantial part in lowering death rates from such things as head on collisions. In addition, something as simple as car weight seems to play an important part in lessening the impact of collisions tests have shown that cars weighing at least 3,000 pounds and have dual, front air bags are the safest (Henry, 1993).
However, there are also innovations in store that build on the current safety features. For example, there are new safety tests and new regulations in place that build upon air bag technology by requiring greater safety in dealing with side crashes. Thus, the move now is toward installing air bags on the doors in order to protect passengers from impacts from the side.
One estimate is that dual front air bags have reduced driver deaths by 26%. Nonetheless, new technologies are continually being developed to remove the bugs from air bags and reduce the side effects. In addition to the development of side impact air bags, other air bags that incorporate sensors into their design are also being developed (Inflation is good, 1994).
One newer safety technology that is not yet standard is also quite controversial. There has been considerable discussion about whether anti lock braking systems are actually a safety feature, lessening injury and death, or whether they actually increase injury and death.
There are several reasons why anti lock braking systems may be less than effective in improv...