9 Must-Have Car Safety Technologies of 2018

When I totaled my 1985 Mercedes convertible after Hurricane Irma last year, I was saddened to see my old car go, but I knew and perhaps was always more than a little concerned that I was driving around and taking my son in a car that was equipped with 30 years outdated and potentially dangerous safety technology. As a car accident lawyer in Miami, I know that the very best way to avoid an injury in a motor vehicle is to avoid the accident, and for 2018, accident avoidance technology in cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs is better than ever.

Accident avoidance technology are devices installed in cars that can help predict and avoid a crash. At one time, these devices were only found on concept cars and high-end luxury sedans, but have now found their way on many affordable vehicles for every niche.

Here are the 9 newest must-have car safety technologies that our Florida personal injury lawyers recommend:

1. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent a collision or reduce collision speed.
2. Forward-Collision Warning (FCW): Visual and/or audible warning intended alert the driver and prevent a collision.
3. Blind-Spot Warning or Blind-Spot Information Systems (BSW or BLIS): Visual and/or audible notification of an approaching vehicle in your blind spot. These systems can also warn you when using your turn signal while there is an approaching car next to you.
4. Rear Cross Traffic Warning: Warnings when an object, person or another vehicle out of your rear camera’s visual range, but moving into it.
5. Rear Automatic Emergency Braking (Rear AEB): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent accidentally backing into something or someone behind your vehicle.
6. Lane-Departure Warning (LDW): Alerts the driver when they are swerving or crossing lanes.
7. Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA): Automatically corrects steering input and braking provided when your vehicle crosses or swerves across lane markings.
8. Lane-Centering Assist: Keeps your vehicle in between lanes.
9. Adaptive Cruise Control: Using lasers, radar, and cameras to keep a constant and safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead. When traffic slows, some systems will bring the car to a complete stop.

And of all the new, cool, and sexy cars and trucks out there for 2018, only 15 qualify for the prestigious “TOP SAFETY PICK+ Award” by The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This new gold standard is more stringent than the previous “TOP SAFETY PICK Award” because it now includes good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.

Small Cars: The Kia Forte and Kia Soul, Subaru Impreza and Subaru WRX.
Mid Size: Hyundai Sonata, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Toyota Camry.
Luxury Cars: BMW 5 series, Genesis G80 and G90, Lincoln Continental, Mercedes Benz E Class.
Mid Size SUVs: Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport.
Mid Size Luxury Suvs: Mercedes Benz GLC.

Surprisingly a large number of cars, trucks, minivans and other segments did not score a single TOP SAFETY PICK+ Award including:
Minivans: None.
Large Pickups: None.
Midsize Luxury: None.
Large Cars: None.
Small SUVs: None.

Additionally, many of the high end, most expensive cars failed to make the cut including not a single Bentley, Porsche, Mclaren, Volvo, or Audi received the award. It should be noted that models that earn TOP SAFETY PICK+ are considered to be the best vehicle choices for safety within a specific category. Size and weight of any given vehicle have a significant effect on an occupant protection in a serious crash. Generally, the larger and heavier a vehicle is the more protection it offers compared to a smaller and lighter car, even of the same category. Therefore a small car that’s a TOP SAFETY PICK+ doesn’t necessarily provide more safety protection than a bigger car that doesn’t earn the award. So if I had a choice, I’d rather be in a heavy sedan or truck than a small Kia any day of the week, especially driving around the busy and dangerous streets of South Florida.

We also recommend that you consider what kind of car you select when using a ride-sharing app like UBER or LYFT. We think it is worth the extra few dollars to request an UBER XL than risk being stuck in the back seat someone’s car that may not have the latest technology or may simply not be safe.

If you are involved in a car accident in Florida, it is important to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer. Our personal injury law office has over 30 years of combined experiences representing people injured in car, truck, motorcycle, UBER, LYFT, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents across the state of Florida. Call us today for a free initial consultation and let our team of lawyers, paralegals, and investigators help you obtain compensation for your lost wages, medical expense and pain, and suffering.
We are available 24/7 and make house, hospital, nursing and rehab calls to assist you in getting back on your feet after a devastating accident. Call us today at 1-866-597-4529, we are ready to help.