When California residents think about auto safety, Volvo may be the first auto manufacturer that comes to mind. The company hopes that emerging safety technology could reduce the number of serious injuries or deaths suffered by the occupants of Volvo cars or SUVs to zero by the year 2020.
Volvo, along with companies including Google and Tesla, are leading proponents of autonomous vehicle technology, and the company believes that a reduction in the number of car accidents caused by human error will make the nation’s roads exponentially safer as self-driving cars become more commonplace. Volvo also believes that fatalities can be virtually eliminated in their conventional vehicles by improving occupant restraint systems and incorporating new accident avoidance systems.
These active safety features work together to monitor driving conditions and prevent crashes by using a vehicle’s traction control, anti-lock braking and stability control systems to avoid an accident. Examples of this type of technology include adaptive cruise control that uses radar to maintain safe distances and lane departure systems that work to prevent vehicles drifting or crossing into oncoming traffic.
While reducing auto accident fatalities to zero is a lofty and laudable goal, Volvo admits that human negligence and recklessness will never be completely eliminated by technology. Passenger vehicle occupants are extremely well protected in modern cars, trucks, and SUVs, but traffic accidents still cause thousands of deaths and catastrophic injuries in California each year. When an accident is caused by negligent behavior, personal injury attorneys may be able to help victims initiate lawsuits against the individuals responsible for a plaintiff’s injuries, loss or damage.