Essay On Car Safety

Car Safety Features Essay

Nowadays, technological developments are made on a daily basis. One of these developments is in the manufacture of cars. These modern cars are able to reach farther distances in a shorter period of time; attaining a much faster speed, and thus making commuting a lot more efficient. However, on the other hand, increased car accidents is also a byproduct of this technological advancement. Car accidents lead to injuries, even deaths, generating pain, suffering, and economic loss in society. Car safety is an essential part of our lives. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the US, there was a 3.3% increase in the number of car accidents from 2011 to 2012. According to the Association of Safe International Road Travel, about 1.3 million road crashes occur each year worldwide, on average 3,287 deaths per day. Road traffic crashes are currently ranked as the 9th leading cause of death and if no action is taken, road traffic accidents are predicted to become ranked as the 5th leading cause of death by year 2030. According to Car Insurance, an average driver in the US will file a claim for a car collision about once every 17.9 years. Chances are, over the course of a typical lifetime, a driver should have a total of 3-4 accidents, some might even be fatal. These frightening statistics indicate why car safety is important.

Governments, car companies, and automobile manufacturers have become more concerned with improving car safety. They have begun including vital safety features such as seat belts, air bags, head restraints, crumple zones etc. to protect us from injuries. All these additional features will indeed raise cost of production, however, their benefits are signific...

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... to the increase in car purchase price. According to An Evaluation of Head Restraints, each integral restraint costs about $6.65, while each adjustable restraint costs about $24.33. Figures are all in USD, 1981 dollars. However, this slight increase in price is negligible. Whereas on the other hand, the additional benefit from saved medical expenses and job opportunities can easily outweigh these numbers, helping the economy.

As a conclusion, the knowledge of Newton’s First Law and Second Law help us see the importance of having head restraints in vehicles. The installation of such, especially in the front seats, would reduce whiplash injuries to a large extent, and help save medical expenses. The associated social and economic disadvantages are minimal. The benefits definitely outweigh the costs. This is another area where science contributes to improved living.