Your health is priceless, and therefore people who can afford to do so are willing to pay top dollar for cars that have a reputation for safety and for upgrades to the safety features on your car. The research and development to make cars safer has been paying off. Compared to the early versions of commercially produced automobiles, today’s cars are nothing to be afraid of. The earliest automobiles did not even have steering wheels. They just lumbered down the road, their direction determined by a rudder-like those found on ships, with a key difference being that a ship in the water encounters fewer obstacles than a car on the road. Safety features help, but do not forget that the most hazardous part of a car is its driver.
Furthermore, the safety features that most effectively prevent serious injury are simple, inexpensive, and ubiquitous. In the event of a car accident, insurance companies, and sometimes courts, determine who could have done something differently to prevent the accident and the resulting injuries; the main cause of the injuries is usually a dangerous driving behavior that caused a collision, but sometimes the condition of the vehicle plays a role, too. If the lack of safety features in someone else’s car made your car accident-related injuries worse, contact a Santa Fe car accident lawyer.
Airbags are Safe, But Seatbelts are Safer
If your car sustains an impact worse than a fender bender, its airbags will inflate in all the right places, theoretically protecting every body part of every occupant of an at-risk seat in the vehicle from severe injury. The presence of airbags in cars has prevented many traffic fatalities and reduced the severity of injuries in many collisions. The airbags are only effective at protecting you from the worst injuries, though, if you are also wearing a seatbelt. They inflate to hold a properly restrained passenger in place. In fact, the outcomes are better for vehicle occupants with seatbelts but no airbags than they are for vehicle occupants with airbags but no seatbelts.
Driver Assist Technologies Keep You Out of Trouble, But Your Own Caution Does This More Effectively
Distracted driving is a problem, and car manufacturers keep thinking of more ways to save drivers from themselves. With rear-facing cameras, it is easy to see obstacles behind you when your car is in reverse. Your car will make annoying noises or even brake if you get too close to an obstacle when you are driving or trying to get into or out of a parking spot. These technologies are helpful for detecting obstacles that are difficult to see; just ask your parents about the times they scratched their cars on trees or mailboxes while navigating a narrow parking job. When you are driving at the speed of the flow of traffic, though, nothing can prevent a collision except your own caution.
Contact Slate Stern About Car Accident Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured as a result of car accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
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