Automotive technology is constantly moving forward. Much of the focus of that new technology, not surprisingly, has been on safety. Safety-minded features like lane departure warnings, lane-change cameras, Bluetooth/hands-free phone options, and others are increasingly common, and in fact are now standard on many newer vehicles. This new safety technology may already be making an impact – according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety, although the total number of accidents in 2014 was slightly higher than the number in 2013, Ohio drivers are still seeing an overall trend downward when it comes to the number of serious car accidents statewide.
However, while all of this new technology is certainly a good thing, it’s important to remember that any vehicle, no matter how advanced, is only as safe as the driver behind the wheel. Distracted drivers, drunk drivers, and other unsafe drivers can still cause accidents, in spite of the many safety aids at their disposal. In fact, new vehicle technology may also be partly responsible for some of the crashes that do occur – for example, we have all heard of drivers who caused a crash while trying to learn how to work the “infotainment” system in their new car. So, while we should all be encouraged by the technological advances in vehicle safety made over the last several years, we should remember that we still need to be careful on the roads. A car can only help so much when it comes to safe driving – ultimately, it is the driver who is responsible for making sure he or she is driving safely.
