It may seem hard to believe, but it’s been 50 years since the 3-point seat belt was invented. We’ve come a long way in vehicle safety since that time. Air bags, sturdier cars, accident warning systems…we’ve seen a lot of improvement in safe driving. But the best is yet to come. Audi seems to lead the way in improvising new ways to make driving safer. Recently Audi has improved safety in three main areas: rear impacts and severe head-on crashes. They’ve equipped their vehicles with special sensors that adjust depending on the type and force of an impact. Auto 123 has specifics:

The rails of the front seats are equipped with sensors that detect whether the seat is in the forward or rearward position. Their data flow into the calculations of the restraint control system. Since the computer knows the approximate position of the occupant in relation to the airbag, it can ensure optimal use of the available forward displacement region – the distance in which the upper body is decelerated by the belt and the airbag – which significantly reduces the effect of the impact on the occupants.

The belt force limiters too react flexibly. In this subsystem, two small torsion bars are interconnected by gears. For smaller and lighter persons, the torsion bars are disengaged promptly. This provides more slack in the seatbelt, enabling the upper body to sink deeply into the airbag, which reduces the force on the thorax. In more violent crashes, the torsion bars are disengaged later or not at all, increasing the belt’s restraining force.

The IIHS has recently awarded no less than four Audi models the “Top Safety Pick” rating again for the second time in a row for their high level of occupant safety. And in the Euro NCAP test the Audi A4 earned the highest rating of five stars.

The purpose of this post isn’t to encourage everyone to go buy an Audi, but the safer car you drive, the less likely you are to be injured in an accident.

Have you or someone you know suffered an accident injury? Call a trusted and experienced Knoxville personal injury attorney today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.