The design of vehicles, encompassing their dimensions, form, and software, significantly impacts the safety of their occupants, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users.The answer lies in the staggering figure of 42,514 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2022, which highlights the importance of safety systems in automobiles.
Founded in 1959, IIHS-HLDI evaluates the effectiveness of a vehicle’s structural integrity and safety systems during collisions through various simulated traffic situations and examines improvements in these elements. Crashworthiness refers to how well a car protects its occupants in an accident. Crash avoidance and mitigation, which involve technology designed to prevent a crash or reduce its severity, are the two safety areas assessed in IIHS tests. The former are called passive systems, while the latter are called active systems.evaluation test.
Front airbags are designed to inflate in moderate-to-severe frontal crashes to prevent a person’s head and chest from contacting hard structures in the vehicle. Newer cars have taken the airbag safety systems forward with airbags for seat belts, knee airbags, panoramic sunroof airbags, seat cushion airbags, and rear seat airbags.
The first wave of active safety technology, now widely implemented in passenger cars and commercial vehicles, includes anti-lock braking systems and electronic stability control . Drowsiness and attention detection systems assess driver alertness and recommend breaks when needed. Speed limit information systems display current speed limits using cameras and GPS data, while tire pressure monitoring systems provide real-time tire pressure information.
The US NHTSA created the first NCAP in 1979 to encourage safer vehicle manufacturing and informed consumer choices. Modeled on the US program, Euro NCAP was founded in 1997, followed by similar programs in Australia , Latin America , and China . The recent entrant to that list is Bharat NCAP in India.