Safer Technologies in Cars, But Not For Everyone

Each year in the United States, there are approximately 32,000 people killed in car accidents. Many more suffer severe and debilitating injuries that last a lifetime. Accidents occur for many reasons. There are snow storms and icy road conditions, and most drivers have at one point or another inadvertently drifted into another lane or not seen another driver hiding in his or her blind spot at some point or another.

Sometimes accidents are the result of drivers being tired, intoxicated, or distracted, often by texting or talking on the phone. When this occurs, injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and property owners can sue for negligence and be compensated for their losses. In Illinois, injured parties can recover for out-of-pocket losses, like lost wages and reduced future income, as well as less tangible injuries, like pain and suffering and emotional distress.

Some accidents are also the result of defective auto parts. In these cases, injured parties can sue for compensation, and they do not even have to prove negligence. If a part is defective, and the part was defective when it left the automaker’s possession, the plaintiff is entitled to recover for any injuries caused by the defect.

Still other injuries are the result of the way cars are designed. Unfortunately, these injuries could often be avoided by new forms of technology that are not currently installed in most cars.

According to a recent news article, at least one study estimates that approximately 10,000 fatal car accidents a year could be avoided or made less severe if new safety technologies were standard in all vehicles. Currently, these technologies are generally offered in luxury vehicles only. The technologies include warnings for drivers who are drifting into another lane, automatic braking to prevent rear-end collisions, and a sensor for vehicles hiding in a driver’s blind spot.

Over the years, the federal government has failed in many ways to enhance driver safety. While it is aware of technologies that can save lives and reduce accidents overall, the government has not mandated that cars be equipped with these technologies. In most cases, the government has simply yielded to industry claims that new safety measures are too costly to install in all vehicles.

Now, however, advances in technology have made the cost of new safety measures less expensive, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken note. According to the article, the NTSB is now recommending that government regulators and auto industry executives include some of the newer technologies in all vehicles, not just the most expensive. The NTSB’s recommendations also include more familiar calls to reduce cell phone use, increase seat belt use, and reduce the number of intoxicated drivers on the roads.

The NTSB’s recommendations are not limited to automobiles. It also recommends that video equipment be installed in planes, boats, trucks, and trains. According to the NTSB, such equipment helps crash investigators understand the cause of a crash, but it is rarely installed because the government does not mandate that it be used.

Have You Been Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident?

Government regulators and the auto industry could make the roads safer for everyone. They have chosen not to do so, putting profits above safety. Hopefully this practice will change in the near future, as new safety technologies become less and less expensive. In the meantime, accidents are still happening at an alarming rate, and drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are being injured far more severely than necessary. If you have been injured in an accident, the lawyers at Moll Law Group understand that by maximizing your recovery, we are holding the auto industry and negligent drivers accountable, thereby making the roads safer for everyone. We also understand that in order to help you recover in full, you need lawyers who care about you as an individual, not just as a dollar sign. That is Moll Law Group in a nutshell. For a free consultation, call (312) 462-1700.

See More Posts:

Common Carriers Must Take Reasonable Care or Face Liability, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, January 12, 2016.

State-Owned Railway Is Protected by Sovereign Immunity, Supreme Court Decides, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, January 9, 2016.

Illinois Protects Police with Partial Immunity in Police Misconduct Cases, Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog, January 16, 2016.