Every car that rolls off the production line and into the automotive market in the UK comes equipped with a range of gadgets and devices that, just a few years ago, would have seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Lidar, automation and engine management computers aren’t just there to improve performance and make life more comfortable and convenient; they also confer a number of distinct safety advantages.
Car accident stats in Great Britain
The story of the last few decades of road travel in England has been one of gradual improvement. The number of reported fatalities has declined, as has the number of casualties. In the first case, from 1,850 in 2010 to 1,460 in 2020; in the second, from 206,648 to 115,584. Take a look further back into road history, and you’ll find even more substantial decreases. Victims of these road accidents can seek to make a personal injury claim through the courts – but the damages might not fully compensate them for their loss.
We might attribute this to cultural changes, and improvements in driving behaviour. It used to be common practice for drivers to get behind the wheel while drunk, but now, you’d make yourself a pariah by doing it. We should also consider the technological changes that have helped to reduce the likelihood and severity of any given accident.
New Car Technology
A new car in the UK will likely come with a few crucial safety features.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Cars with this technology are able to automatically maintain a specific distance between the car and the car in front. Systems of this kind can automatically adapt to road signs, and pick up on speed limits, too.
Autonomous Emergency Braking
This will bring the car to a stop when it detects that the car in front has stopped – or that a collision is imminent. Since the machine can react much more quickly than a human, it cuts a substantial chunk off the braking distance. You might stop short of the obstacle – but even if you don’t, your speed will have been reduced substantially.
Lane Assist
For motorway driving, drifting into the wrong lane can often lead to an accident. Many modern cars will nudge themselves back into lane if they determine a drift to have occurred. At the very least, they might issue a warning.
Possible Future Technology
As artificial intelligence and camera systems get more sophisticated, we might see control of the vehicle handed over entirely to machines. This Rubicon might be crossed only once the machines in question have been approved by regulators, which will tend to mean millions of hours of practice in both simulations and real-world settings. The UK government anticipates the first examples to arrive as early as 2025.
A machine driver will be able to not only handle the car much more safely than a human ever could; it will also be able to communicate constantly with other road vehicles. It’s entirely possible that, in the future, road fatalities will be reduced to close to zero.
