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Car Safety Technology Trends To Expect In 2020

Jan 28, 2020

2018 was the third most dangerous year on US roadways in the previous decade. According to the data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a total of 36,750 people were fatally injured in American traffic crashes during 2018, with this number improving by one percent in 2019. This could be the result of the ongoing effort to promote the use of advanced safety systems in new vehicles. The reduction in road casualty statistics can also be linked to the latest car safety features incorporated by leading car manufacturers. To further decrease the incidences of road traffic fatalities, here are the latest vehicle safety innovations that the public will see in 2020. 

More Self-Driving Vehicles

It looks like 2020 is a promising year for self-driven cars. During the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas in early January, Japanese consumer electronics company Sony revealed its electric car concept installed with 33 sensors. It includes several image sensors, lidar sensors, and solid-state light detection technology. All of these sensors will heighten the self-driven car's safety capabilities. The concept car also comes with the company's in-car entertainment systems with exceptional audio technology. Sony plans to begin testing its self-driving cars in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in April.  

Pedestrian Safety Technology

Major car manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan, and General Motors plan to cut down the number of pedestrian deaths in the coming years. During the 2020 Washington Auto Show, these companies displayed their pedestrian detection systems installed in some of their models. Specifically, Nissan promised to include the Safety Shield 360 technology in all their top-of-the-line models. This technology consolidated six state-of-the-art active safety and driver-assist innovations to enhance the safety and total driving experience of all Nissan drivers. It includes high beam assist, blind-spot warning, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. To further protect the approaching pedestrians, the carmaker will include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Pedestrians who will get involved in an accident can consult a car accident lawyer to discuss how they can go after the driver who caused their injuries.  

Speed Limit Technology

Swedish car manufacturer Volvo announced in 2019 that they will include their new speed limit technology in all of their vehicles by 2022 as part of their Vision 2020 safety campaign. Once the new technology comes to all their vehicles, the maximum speed limit to 180 kph. It will be a timely move from the carmaker, since 9,378 people died on the road due to speeding last year. This will prevent drivers who committed aggressive driving behaviors from exceeding the state-mandated speed limit. Aside from setting an in-car speed limit, the company also aims to find a way to incorporate smart speed control as well as geofencing technology to automatically limit the speed when the car drives within hospitals and schools in the coming years.  

These are the upcoming car safety technologies that you can expect from the next line of vehicles for 2020. With the help of these new innovations, consumers can expect to see a significant decrease in the number of vehicular accidents and fatalities in the future.