For the last 50 years auto safety advocates have concentrated most of their efforts on making auto accidents more survivable for vehicle occupants. Because of this, we have such safety advancements as airbags, auto body “crush zones,” and the greatest safety advancement of the era, the simple seat belt. While no one can doubt the efficacy of these advancements, there is another area of research and development that promises equally startling advancements to the cause of safety, and it revolves around vehicle systems that help keep accidents from occurring in the first place. Auto engineers call it “active safety,” while referring to things like airbags as “passive safety systems.” Read more . . .

The year 2004 featured some significant milestones with regard to automotive safety, and the majority of these came from Japanese automakers, according to a new study from ABI Research.

“Japanese automakers have been aggressively rolling out a new generation of vehicle safety systems, while North American and European OEMs have been playing catch-up,” claimed Frank Viquez, ABI Research’s director of automotive research. “What is important to note here is that the introduction of these systems are just stepping stones towards a larger plan to integrate all these ancillary systems into one fully interactive and sophisticated safety system.” Read more . . .