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Can Auto Safety Assist Features Cause Collisions?

February 24, 2021

Car manufacturers systematically have added safety features to their products for many years. Many vehicles come standard with rear cameras, lane assist, and more. These technologies aim to make driving less risky for everyone on the road. For the most part, they achieve this goal; however, safety assist features can fail. When this happens, drivers need to understand how to respond and how to recover damages for a car accident. The first step is to contact a knowledgeable lawyer.

Common Types of Safety Assist Features

Mitigating safety assist failures requires a basic understanding of the various types of applicable features on the market. A few of the more prevalent kinds of safety assist options include:

Parking Assistance: This feature helps a driver navigate tight parking spaces. The car may even do the parking without much help or intervention from the driver.

Blind Spot Monitors: All cars have blind spots. Blind spot monitors alert drivers to potential vehicles and objects in their blind spots in an effort to avoid collisions.

Forward Collision Alerts: Like blind spot monitors, forward collision alerts set off an alarm to keep a driver from moving forward and possibly hitting a car. Sometimes, forward collision warnings may be used in conjunction with an automated emergency braking system, which brakes on behalf of the driver.

Attention Monitors: Attention monitors scan the driver for any signs of inattention or waning alertness. Some devices claim to be able to tell when a driver glances at a phone to text.

Lane-Related Assistance: Lane assist features try to keep a car from veering out of the lanes on a highway. In certain cars, lane assist automatically moves the car back to a central lane position. In other cars, lane assist merely sets off an alarm to force the driver to move positions.

Traffic Sign Notifications: This type of safety assist feature has gotten recent press for its innovativeness. The driver is advised of upcoming traffic signs as noticed by the software in the car. This cuts down on drivers missing stop signs, yield signs, and other frequently used traffic street signs.

How to Deal with Faulty Safety Assist Features

Any type of technology can break down, including safety assist features in cars. For this reason, drivers need to be careful not to rely on auto technology. Instead, drivers should utilize the safety features and maintain concentration and focus while driving.

If a safety feature causes an accident, the driver may want to speak with a lawyer who deals with personal injury cases. Ideally, the driver will have taken pictures at the scene and may have even arranged for a technician to evaluate the failure of the safety assist feature. Any documentation will help build a case against the at-fault party.

Trying to pursue a complex collision claim that may involve many defendants can be challenging for an injured driver trying to recover. A lawyer with experience can help their client adequately navigate the courts and pull together a strong case.

Auto safety assist features can be useful. Safety features can help avoid rear-end collisions, side collisions, and even some fender-benders. Nevertheless, faulty safety features and reckless drivers can cause collisions. For help with a car accident case, a victim should speak to a lawyer.

Delaware County Personal Injury Lawyers at Eckell Sparks Help Clients Pursue Claims for Car Accident Injuries

Car safety assist features can lessen the likelihood of an accident, but some collisions are unpreventable. If you have a car accident injury, contact a Delaware County personal injury lawyer at Eckell, Sparks, Levy, Auerbach, Monte, Sloane, Matthews & Auslander, P.C. today. Call us at 610-565-3701 or contact us online for a free consultation. Located in Media and West Chester, Pennsylvania, we serve clients throughout Delaware County, Chester County, and Montgomery County.