While most of us probably don`t think about the dangers of the road every time we get into our cars, it`s still something we deal with every day. Statistics tell us that traffic accidents are on the rise nationwide, and show no signs of slowing down. This results in both fatal and non-fatal accidents, most of which are actually preventable. The question is, could car safety features have played a part in preventing some of these accidents, or will human error always dictate traffic accident statistics? For those who have been the victims of reckless driving, one option is to hire a car accident lawyer. For many, though, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and they want to use cars that will help reduce the risk of everyday driving. This is why today`s consumers are interested in advanced safety features like the ones found in Tesla`s Active Safety System. While Tesla is probably more well-known for their Autopilot features, their Active Safety System is one of the factors that has made Tesla cars some of the safest in the world. What`s included in this system? Find out more below!
Lane Departure Warning
Tesla cars are able to detect all kinds of driver behaviors and actions with features such as Lane Departure Warning. A distracted driver could allow their vehicle to veer into the next lane; if there`s a car in the way, though, this will obviously result in a crash, or at the very least a near-miss. With this feature, though, they`ll get notified to course-correct and return their attention to the road.
Lane Departure Avoidance
It`s easy to get distracted while you`re driving, especially if you aren`t trying that hard to concentrate in the first place. If an inattentive driver is allowing their vehicle to drift outside the lane, the Lane Departure Avoidance feature is designed to prevent this type of scenario by identifying lane changes that are made without the turn signal being used. If the driver`s hands are undetected while this is happening, the car will display alerts that remind the driver to put their hands back on the wheel.
If the situation continues, the car will automatically reduce its speed to 15 mph below the car`s set speed (or the speed limit) and turn on the hazard lights to warn other drivers. Since this feature functions at any speed between 25 mph and 90 mph, most situations will be covered as long as the feature is enabled by the driver.
Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance
As you may have guessed, this feature is essentially an extension of the previous one. Where Lane Departure Avoidance will only take limited measures to prevent the car from leaving its lane, Emergency Lane Departure Avoidance can actually steer the vehicle back to the correct lane. It can happen when the car is approaching the edge of the road, or when a lane departure could result in a collision. It`s automatically enabled each time the car is started, but it can be disabled for individual drives through the Autopilot Controls menu.
Blind Spot Monitoring
This feature is rapidly becoming standard in safety-conscious cars, and Tesla is no exception. Blind spots are monitored using external cameras, and the driver is alerted to vehicles or obstacles within their blind spots when changing lanes.
Side Collision Warning
Collision warnings in general have been a common feature in cars for several years now, but the Side Collision Warning is far from standard. This feature alerts the driver to other cars or obstacles that are coming towards either side of the vehicle.
Obstacle Aware Acceleration
This is a great safety feature to have in any vehicle, but there may be a particular reason why this has been included in Tesla vehicles specifically. On the surface, it just looks like one more way to prevent collisions – it slows down the car if an obstruction is detected. Even if it doesn`t stop the vehicle entirely, this could easily mean the difference between a fatal and a non-fatal accident, so it`s a great feature to have. That being said, it may have been introduced in response to the occasional “Sudden Unintended Acceleration” incidents that put Tesla in the news every so often.
Forward Collision Warning
If a Tesla vehicle can tell that the car is approaching an obstacle that`s directly ahead, it`ll alert the driver so that they can react and prevent a collision. While this might seem like a pretty standard offering, Tesla also gives drivers the option to be warned early, medium, or late. Conservative drivers can get their alerts as soon as possible, while people who are occasionally annoyed by their car telling them what to do can change the settings to be less sensitive. This feature can also be disabled, although it isn`t recommended.
Automatic Emergency Braking
Even if Autopilot isn`t engaged, a Tesla`s safety features may take control of the vehicle in emergency situations – such as immediately before a collision. If the vehicle`s sensors detect an imminent collision, the brakes will engage in order to stop (or at least slow down) the vehicle before it collides with something else. In some cases, this could actually prevent a traffic accident from happening; at the very least it can usually lessen the severity of the crash. After all, running into something at 25 mph is a lot less dangerous than doing it at 65 mph.
How do Tesla`s safety features stack up?
Compared to standard safety systems, Tesla offers a more complete suite of features. The trade-off is that many drivers dislike the way their cars seemingly try to hold their hands as they drive; the various notifications and alerts can get annoying pretty quickly. Just like other brands, Tesla`s safety features can be enabled and disabled by the driver. Even though people are more likely to disable their car`s safety features when they get irritating, it still seems that the Active Safety System is playing a part in keeping drivers, passengers, and other motorists safe while they drive.