In the blink of an eye, a serious car accident can devastate your life, leaving you with serious, perhaps even debilitating injures and catastrophic emotional and financial harm, or it could take the life of a loved one that you relied upon for emotional and financial support. Those who find themselves in this position often wonder what could’ve been done to prevent their tragedy and how similar accidents can be avoided in the future.
For many, the focus has shifted to curtailing speeding. Successfully addressing the issue could have a profound impact, too, as 2021 alone saw approximately 12,000 people killed in accidents attributable to speeding, which is the highest rate in the last decade. However, current practices of education and safety initiatives discussing the dangers of speeding have fallen short. That’s why some are now considering what role technology can play in reducing instances of speeding and speed-related accidents.
How technology might help prevent speeding
Some public safety advocates are lobbying car makers to implement speed control systems in their vehicles. Intelligent speed assistance, as these systems have been called, can be passive in nature when they simply inform a driver that they’re traveling at a rate faster than the allowable speed limit, or they can be active by preventing a motorist from driving over a certain speed. These systems are already widely used in Europe, and their use will become mandatory in the next year.
So, why hasn’t the United States mandated these intelligent speed assistance systems? Simply put, there are no existing rules, regulations, or laws that require car makers to utilize these systems in their vehicles. And car makers are hesitant to make any changes right now given that there’s been little push in the American market for these sorts of systems and adding them to new vehicles would increase costs.
What does the future have in store?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering a rule that would mandate intelligent speed assistance in all vehicles, but there’s been no final determination issued yet. However, the NHTSA has vocalized its support of intelligent speed assistance. And New York has already initiated a pilot program where speed limiting systems are deployed in their municipal fleets.
As more information about the effectiveness of these systems is made publicly and widely available, there may be a greater push for implementation of these systems. However, some industry insiders are still skeptical, saying that the technology hasn’t matured to the point that it can consistently and accurately read speed limits and adjust accordingly. Time will tell if safety advocates or auto makers achieve the outcome they want on the implementation of speed limiting systems.
Have you been negatively impacted by a speed-related accident?
Until changes are made to how speed is limited in vehicles, speed-related crashes will continue to occur. If you or a loved one has been injured in one of these accidents, then you need to push for accountability. Taking legal action may be the only way to find justice and recover the compensation needed to offset extensive losses.
But building a personal injury case isn’t always as easy as it seems. In fact, there can be evidentiary issues that threaten the viability of your claim if you’re not careful. That’s why it’s a good idea to thoroughly plan your strategy and seek out any assistance that you may need along the way.