Author:  Vern Eide Motorcars 

As the saying goes, “Change is Inevitable,” but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With advancements in technology, it’s amazing the standard or optional equipment that vehicles come with. 

Lane departure warning is becoming common in vehicles. This feature lets drivers know when they are starting to leave their intended lane. Generally, lane departure warnings activate after reaching a certain speed (usually over 30-40 miles per hour), and with the aid of front-facing cameras, they monitor when your vehicle is starting to touch or cross a lane marker. Depending on the vehicle, an audible alert will sound, the steering wheel will be sent pulses that the driver can feel, and the vehicle will correct itself. 

Another great technological advance is adaptive cruise control. This feature lets the driver set the cruise control but factors in keeping a constant distance from the vehicle in front of them. In order to maintain a safe distance, this feature will adjust the cruise speed for you, so you don’t have to touch the pedals or adjust the cruise control speed yourself. 

A Collision Mitigating Braking System is yet another advancement in technology to help keep drivers safe. This feature sends alerts to the driver to help reduce the likelihood of a collision or to reduce the severity of an impact when a collision is unavoidable. Depending on your vehicle’s distance from other vehicles or pedestrians, alerts will be sent to help indicate your need to stop or slow down. Alerts start as visual and audible alerts but can graduate to light braking, and in some cases, strong braking by the vehicle’s system. 

Our vehicles are safer and more technologically advanced than ever before. It’s important to not rely solely on the technology, but rather use these items as tools to help keep you and your family safe while on the road. Lean into change...because after all it is inevitable!