Computer driven cars?

Cars of today are safer in America than ever before. Are we moving toward computer-driven cars from the advances in computer-operated active safety features?

One of the top factors in choosing a new car is safety, according to J.D. Power's survey of new car buyers.

Manufacturer response to consumer demands and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) passenger protection mandates means safer cars for Americans.

Airbags
The current trend is adding more and smarter airbags. Even affordable sedans are offering a standard six airbags: Two front and four side curtain airbags. Luxury vehicles are doubling the effort with twelve.

New airbag offerings provide multi-stage deployment and passenger detection systems. In the event of a crash, airbags deploy only when a person occupies the seat and in stages for maximum injury protection.

NHTSA estimates airbags have saved nearly 22,500 lives since 1987.

Head restraints
Even lower speed crashes can produce whiplash-type head and neck injuries. Manufacturers offer most vehicles with active head restraints to prevent the backward motion of the head at impact.

While the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) reports quite a few models do not make their highest safety rating, the majority of American cars do.

Vehicle construction
The NHTSA has determined American vehicles have neared the safety ceiling for vehicle construction with the advances in alloys, crumple zones and modified cabin and roll cages.

Most vehicles introduced earn the highest safety rating offered by the NHTSA and IIHS. All vehicle safety construction changes have been made to obtain the NHTSA's five star rating and the IIHS's good rating.

Current research into roof construction will lead to a new NHTSA standard. The next frontier for vehicle safety is crash avoidance.

Vehicle stability
Under NHTSA mandate, all new vehicles must have electronic stability control by 2012. Computer-operated stability control could save as many as 10,000 lives per year and reduce single vehicle crashes by as much as 34 per cent.

Future technology
Since computers react faster than drivers, more active safety features rely on computers.

Lane departure warning systems are being added to some models for the NHTSA to research their efficacy before mandating their installation in all new vehicles.

More complex systems, like collision avoidance systems, are the first baby steps toward computer-driven cars. These vehicles anticipate crashes, close windows and sun roofs and preload brakes.

Slowing cars prior to impact reduces the severity of crashes. Closing of cabin openings, like sun roofs, increases the stability of the cabin, reducing injuries inside.

Read on to find out how these changes are making the safety ratings harder to attain and driving safer.

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