There’s a wave of new technology hitting California roadways — ranging from specialized air bags to smart seat belts — that car manufacturers are hoping will help motorists drive more safely and ultimately reduce the number of injuries and fatalities resulting from car accidents.
For more than a decade, improvements to vehicle safety have helped save lives whether its side air bags cushioning the impact of a collision or rear cameras offering an extra pair of eyes when a driver backs up. Now a new device called the Lifebelt is aimed toward specifically helping parents safeguard their teenage children from driving without a seatbelt.
According to a USA Today report, every day roughly10 teenagers are killed in car accidents in the United States. Teenagers are typically involved in the largest numbers of accidents because of their inexperience and sometime negligent or distracted behavior, the report said.
Lifebelt is a device that prevents drivers from starting the vehicle until their seatbelts buckled up. Additionally, if the driver or passengers unbuckle their seatbelts while the engine is running the radio is shut down and an alarm is sounded until the belt is re-buckled, the company said in a press release. That company reports that 63 percent of those killed in car crashes were not wearing a seatbelt, but more than 170,000 lives were saved as the result of seatbelts in general in the last 30 years.
Other devices that have drastically improved road safety are the addition of side and rear seat airbags in many newer vehicles to prevent passenger injury. A new pedestrian air bag was introduced by Volvo this year in its V40 sedan. The vehicle has sensors inside its front bumpers that will deploy the airbag in a few hundredths of a second, according to a Volvo press release. The airbag shoots up out of the windshield wiper area to cover the windshield where most victims of pedestrian accidents land when they are struck. The airbag cushions the impact in an effort to prevent serious injuries.
Rearview cameras also help prevent backing into a person or another car which is a cause of many accidents in more suburban areas.
Other improvements to vehicles in recent years include enhancements to tires that make the treading more durable to ensure drivers are safe when driving on roads during poor weather conditions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, LED lights too are contributing to increased safety on the road because they are brighter and turn on faster giving drivers more time to react when they see brake lights.
While the volume of accidents have increased over the decades due to the overall rise in population and increase in car ownership the percentage of accidents that happens in contrast to how many cars are on the road is decreasing.
In 1990 the U.S. Census Bureau reported there were 11.5 million traffic accidents in 2009 that number dropped to 10.8 million. Additionally the number of deaths dropped in that period of time from 46,800 traffic accident related deaths in 1990 to 35,900 in 2009.
While technology is not the sole reason driving safety is increasing and accident percentages are decreasing improvements to cars, its accessories and the roads are making for a safer drive.
“Increased regulation by the government for car manufacturers coupled with increased enforcement of drunk and distracted drivers, has helped make our roadways safer than they were 20 years ago,” said West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm.
While all of this technology and regulation is working there is still no remedy for negligent drivers on the road.
“There’s always going to be someone who gets behind the wheel while they are drunk or otherwise distracted drivers who use their cell phones while driving, but the drive behind efforts to make vehicles safer can also be attributed to successful personal injury lawsuits,” Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm said. “Car manufacturers have been held liable for defects and courts have made them pay injured victims leading to improved safety and technology in all vehicles on the roads today.”
For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients who were injured in traffic accidents or have lost a loved one.
If you are injured, the insurance company may try to settle your claim quickly, however, they do not have your best interests in mind. Some injuries may lead to long-term ailments requiring pain medication, therapy or loss of function. You may require time off work to recover from injuries completely and those costs are not likely part of the settlement they will offer you.
There is no cost to speak to our experienced legal professionals about your accident until we have won your case. Finding the best car accident attorney can mean you will get the settlement you need to get your life back on track. Compensation for your injuries, loss of wages and pain and suffering can’t take away the trauma of the accident, but it can help you rebuild your life.
Call us today at 1-855-ASK WEST (1-855-275-9378)to speak with our car accident law firm. There is no obligation to hire our firm, but we will help you determine if you need a lawyer. Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
– Josh Francis