The technology that goes into modern vehicle designs is improving every year at a tremendously rapid pace. Not that long ago there was no such thing as airbags and anti-lock brakes. And while consumers benefit, such safety-related changes impact your shop everyday.
I was in the reception area of a shop a few weeks ago, and while I was waiting to speak with the shop manager, I began to thumb through a thick magazine called Vintage Car Wrecks, motoring mishaps 1950-1979. I quickly became engrossed in the myriad of photos of collisions involving these old cars. I was so engaged that I didn't hear the shop manager approach.
"That's a pretty cool book isn't it?" he said as he reached out his hand to greet me. "Lots of my customers look at that book and say to me, 'Boy they sure don't make em like they used to!' I always reply back, 'It's a good thing they don't, otherwise you might not be here talking to me. Cars are much safer than they were then.' It's a great opening conversation, and helps me sell the job."That simple statement made me begin to think about all the technology that goes into a modern vehicle. Technology seems to improve at a tremendously rapid pace. If you really think about it, it wasn't that long ago when there was no such thing as air bags or anti-lock brakes. These innovations have made collisions much safer for vehicle occupants, keeping drivers and their passengers alive and injury free. What if in the future there were technologies that helped you avoid a collision altogether? Sound like an episode of "Star Trek?" Hardly.
The reality is..... the future is now.
Many people involved in the collision industry have a fear that accident avoidance technology will slow down the rate of collisions, and hurt many shops across the country. It's safe to assume that if the technology helps drivers avoid a crash, there will be fewer crashes. That's a "no brainier."
When thinking about this logically, however, there will still be a great many vehicles on the road without this sophisticated technology for years to come. Moreover, there always will be safety-challenged drivers behind the wheel causing mayhem daily. It's an unfortunate reality of our world, but there always will be someone who drinks and drives — and crashes. Additionally, the cost of repairing these highly technical vehicles will rise, and so will your average RO. You may fix fewer cars, but you may actually make more money. Kind of interesting isn't it? Having said that, I believe that if the technology saves one life, it will be worth the cost in lost revenue. After all, that life could be yours or that of a loved one. Enough of the soapbox. Let's look at some of these technologies, and see what our future holds.Current innovations
There are likely accident avoidance technologies functioning on the vehicle you drove into work today. You probably don't even think about them — anti-lock brakes, for example. The following is a brief explanation of some technologies currently in many cars.
• ANTI-LOCK BRAKES
Anti-lock brakes work through sensors and hydraulics that automatically "pump" the brakes for you during a hard braking event. By pulsing the brakes back and forth rapidly, the system allows the driver to maintain control of the vehicle during braking. Many newer systems pump all four brakes independently, compared to some of the older systems, which pumped just the rear brakes.
• TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS)
A dedicated sensor attached to the valve stem on each wheel reads the pressure in your tires and alerts you if it is too low, usually through an indicator light on your dash. Correct tire pressure sounds very simple, but it is a critical area with regard to safety and tire performance.
• DISK BRAKES
If you didn't think of disk brakes as accident avoidance technology, think again. Improved, more even and more controllable stopping power have kept many drivers from slamming into other vehicles.
• HEATED OUT-SIDE MIRRORS
This is a simple, but very effective way to keep the driver's line of vision unobstructed. Snow and ice on outside mirrors have caused many a collision during a lane change.
• HIGH-INTENSITY ADAPTIVE HEADLAMPS.
Brighter headlamps that turn in the same direction as the vehicle when a driver turns the wheel do a better job of lighting roadways. This technology helps illuminate potential hazards during a turn much better than conventional headlamps. They can keep drivers from hitting deer or other objects.• ALL-WHEEL/FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
This option is so common, it's hardly considered an accident avoidance technology. If you don't have it, drive on a slippery, snow-covered road and you will realize that these systems help a vehicle maintain traction.
• VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL
Vehicle stability control works by analyzing wheel speed and steering angle through a series of sensors. If a wheel is spinning too fast, based on pre-stored data, the system will apply the brake to the errant wheel, and may even reduce the throttle. All this happens in milliseconds. The system may correct the symptom before you even recognize a problem.
• BACK-UP SENSORS
These have been around for years. They sound a warning when they sense an object in a vehicle's path while backing up. I don't have the statistics, but my guess is this technology has prevented many mishaps involving children.
The not-so-distant future
Again, even though these are the basic and most commonplace technologies, these innovations have taken years to develop, at great expense. In fact, further development of more sophisticated technologies seemed to stall around 2002, but there has been a resurgence in this area in recent years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has increased its budget allocations for research in this area every year for the past three or four years. I don't see this changing soon. In fact, I would expect research to increase.Data concerning the reduction of accident frequency due to crash avoidance technology are compelling. In one NHTSA study, electronic stability control reduced crashes in passenger vehicles by 35 percent, compared to vehicles that were sold without these systems. SUV ratios were even higher, approximately a mid-60 percentile. That's a solid argument for further research and funding.
Here is some of the technology that manufacturers are looking to rollout in the not-so-distant future:
• LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEMS
This system employs cameras mounted on the front and back of a vehicle. These cameras monitor lane markings ahead of and behind the car. If the vehicle starts to veer from its lane, and crosses the markings without activating a turn signal indicting the move, an alarm will sound and dash warning lamps will blink. This system will not activate at slower speeds, usually less than 35 mph. These systems have been developed for Nissan and Infinity by Iteris Inc. According to their studies, more than 1.5 million accidents a year can be attributed to a vehicle straying from its lane. In fact, data show more than 50 percent of all fatal car crashes are due to this unintentional drifting.
• FRONTAL IMPACT WARNING SYSTEMS
These are a reality on some Volvo vehicles right now. Front-mounted sensors similar to radar recognize an object in the front of a car and warn the driver of an impending crash using lights and sound. The system "pre-pressurizes" the brake system, and in some cases, even applies the brakes if the driver does not in a sufficient amount of time.
• BLIND SPOT DETECTION SYSTEM
Again, side-mounted sensors would indicate the presence of an object in a vehicle's "blind" spot, where a mirror would be unable to detect potential hazards. The indicators most likely would be mounted in the mirror itself, for the best visibility. Again, the technology exists and will be available soon.
• VEHICLE ROLLOVER SENSORS
Delphi is currently developing and beta testing a rollover system that senses vehicle instability and an imminent rollover. The system applies the brakes and takes control of the steering wheel to correct the situation.
• VARIABLE INTENSITY BRAKE LIGHTS
By utilizing LED lights in conjunction with standard lamps, brake lights will get brighter, based on the amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal. In severe braking situations, the brake lamps would get noticeably brighter, helping other drivers recognize a vehicle making a faster stop.
• OCCUPANT CAMERAS
Cameras mounted inside a vehicle would activate an alarm or blare the vehicle stereo, if inappropriate movement was noted for the driver's head, such as if a driver begins to fall asleep. The noise would wake up the driver. These cameras also would be able to determine the physical size of the occupants and, if needed, adjust air bag deployment and activation of seatbelt tensioners.
• ADVANCED ACCIDENT WARNING SYSTEMS
Vehicles equipped with this technology, could "warn" other vehicles in the path of a speeding or out-of-control vehicle before an impact occurred. For example, if a driver ran a red light, the system would warn all vehicles stopped at the light about the reckless driver's antics and keep them from entering the intersection while the offender barrels through it. This system would even warn other drivers of a slippery or dangerous road condition, if another vehicle in the vicinity had activated electronic stability control or traction control.
How should we handle these changes? Education. I suggest you and your staffs learn as much as you can about these technologies. They are not going away and will only become more sophisticated. These systems will need to be replaced or repaired following a crash. Your shop might as well be the one fixing them.
If most of these innovations become a reality in future vehicles, there will certainly be fewer cars to fix. Hopefully, fewer hospital beds, or worse, will be occupied by accident victims. I'm willing to sacrifice a few bucks if these systems can save a few lives, and I'm sure you are too.
Nevertheless, until the human element is removed from driving, there will be accidents. If you don't educate yourself now, you will be a less viable repairer. The industry reaction to air bags was similar, until they became commonplace. Now, every shop deals with them daily without any fear.
