Driverless Cars Are on the Horizon

The shift to driverless cars is on!  Scholars and researchers are estimating autonomous cars will make up 75 percent of vehicles on the road by 2040.  This will have a dramatic impact on many areas of our economy. 

  

Autonomous cars will affect infrastructure as the cars would have to communicate with the highway or street as well as with other cars to determine traffic and weather conditions.  Vehicles would be able to travel faster as alerts could be exchanged to regarding accidents or available parking places.  It would be possible to avoid accidents with information about where other vehicles are.

  

Another major change would affect transportation and mobility for many people who are currently unable to drive.  This would have a huge impact on the young, the elderly, and the disabled.  In fact, the appeal of using the commuting time to surf the internet or talk on the phone is a major attraction to millennials.

  

Many of the features which will be found in driverless cars will be available in the near future.  Driver assist systems including active cruise control, lane-keep assist are becoming more common in vehicles.   Volvo is introducing two new systems which will be offered in its’ 2016 XC90:  run-off road protection and auto brake at intersections.  

The run-off road feature detects when a car leaves the road and tightens the front safety belts to keep occupants cinched in their seats.  It also added energy absorbing cushioning between the seat and frame to help alleviate the occurrence of spinal injuries.  To keep drivers on the pavement, Volvo will add a Lane Keeping Aid, which applies extra steering torque when a vehicle unintentionally travels outside the lane.  Statistics from Volvo indicate that half of all traffic fatalities are due to road departure accidents, when a vehicle veers off the road.   Volvo has long been known for safety, so it is not surprising that they are at the forefront of new safety technology.

  

When it comes to research on driverless cars Google is way ahead of the competition.  Initially, the driverless car research was done on the Toyota Prius, and Google has a fleet of them around its California campus, and has tested them over approximately 300,000 miles.  It has since built its’ own version of the vehicle without a steering wheel.  Although the technology is advancing, many drivers are hesitant to relinquish control.   People may become accustomed to these new cars a little at a time. 

If you are injured in an auto accident by no fault of your own, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. Call The Law Offices of Robert Paysinger, P.C. at (303) 279-0221 today for a free initial consultation. We help injured people - it's all we do! 

Sources: New driver assist systems add extra layer of protection for occupants of upcoming all-new crossover. 5 Reasons Why Automakers Should Fear Google's Driverless Car

Cyclists, Pedestrians & Car Crashes: Not Always The Driver's Fault

With accidents between cars, pedestrians and cyclists on the rise in Colorado in recent years, many people assume that cars are almost always at fault for the crashes. Statistics compiled by the Denver Police, however, appear to contradict that notion to some extent.

264 people have been cited while riding their bicycles for disobeying traffic laws so far in 2014, according to Denver Police. Further, the statistics show a somewhat startling trend; in 44% of auto-cyclists crashes, cyclists were ticketed.

The interaction between cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists on the roadways has been cause for increasing concern in the Denver metro area and Colorado in general. In 2013, 15 fatalities occurred as a result of auto-pedestrian accidents. Seven more pedestrians have died in 2013, including 4 from hit-and-run crashes in Denver.

In response, Denver Police and Denver Public Works have teamed up to create the "Heads Up" campaign, which encourages drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to be more safe and more aware of their surroundings. The campaign, which originally launched in May 2013, has also deemed June "Heads Up" month. Vounteers will be at several intersections throughout the month, handing our cards with tips and providing passersby with safety information

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock addressed the campaign and the safety issues in a press release, saying "Denver, we must work together to create a culture that embraces all modes of transportation and encourages all users to take responsibility for their actions while walking, biking or driving. We are a growing city that is becoming more multimodal every day. It is important to remind ourselves and those around us that we all need to do our part to keep our roads and walkways safe."

Here's a list of tips that the volunteers are providing to the community:

Pedestrians

1. Look both ways before entering the roadway to cross the street
2. Use the "push to walk" buttons when available
3. Obey the walk/don't walk pedestrian signals
4. Always cross the street at an intersection
5. Don't be a distracted pedestrian. Put away your electronic devises and stay alert.
6. Don't wear headphones or talk on a cell phone while crossing the street

Cyclists

1. Bikers and cars - same rights, same laws. Obey stop signs, traffic signals.
2. Take your place in traffic. Ride your bike on the street or on a campus brick pathway at a safe speed. Sidewalks are reserved for pedestrians
3. Always ride with traffic. Ride on the right (or left on one-ways) where drivers expect to see you.
4. Be alert and visible. Steer clear of riding with earphones and use lights and reflective gear at night.

If you are injured in a car accident, hit and run accident, or pedestrian v. car accident in the greater Denver metro area, you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. Call The Law Offices of Robert Paysinger, P.C. today at (303) 279-0221 for a free initial consultation. We help injured people - it's all we do!

Can YOUR Car talk?

Are Talking Cars on the Way?

WASHINGTON - For the lucky drivers who were selected to participate in Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Program, the results were quite clear: adding technology that allows cars to "communicate" with each other with a Wi-Fi-like network was welcomed with open arms by more than 4 out of 5 participants. 

The clinics, which was a joint effort between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Research and Innovation Technology Administration, in addition to automakers and state/federal agencies, were conducted over a five month span between August 2011 and January 2012 in six different locations across the country.

Some automakers have been more reluctant to express their excitement for requirement implementation of new technology. However, many are suggesting that an obligation to equip newer vehicles with new electronic components that allow vehicles to communicate with each other is the most efficient way to have these products introduced to the marketplace.

"If you have the technology, and the price has gone down so much, use it," said Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer group. "You aren't going to get it into the marketplace as fast as you could and save as many lives as you could unless you mandate it."

A major difference between this newly developed, communicative technology and previous auto-safety technologies is the ability to detect cars that are unable to be distinguished by laser or radar. The previous electronic equipment relied on "seeing" (though laser or radar), rather than discovering other vehicles through a wireless network so the driver can be alerted.

One major concern regarding this technology involves the wireless network aspect. Before the product can be introduced, it must be investigated to ensure that it is resistant to hacking and other issues that might affect reliability.

The joint NHTSA and RITA venture will continue with a second phase this summer, slated to be a year in duration. The experiment will monitor 3,000 vehicles equipped with the technology, and will investigate new areas of use, such as "do not pass" alerts, and an alarm for vehicles that have stopped suddenly.

Data from the pilot program will be used to determine the plausibility of the technology's implementation, and by 2013 the two agencies will decide whether the endeavor will continue to be pursued.

Sources: New DOT Research Shows Drivers Support Connected Vehicle Technology, Appreciate Potential Safety Benefits, Cars Avoid Crashes by Talking to each other 8 June, 2012