Technology is constantly changing around us. It seems that once we get used to the way something works, it evolves. For example, we went from VCRs to DVDs to DVR and TiVos to Blu-rays. It’s impossible to predict how we’ll be watching TV in a decade. But, one thing seems to stay constant—your car. Or at least when it comes to the basics.
In 1914 when Henry Ford first began mass producing his vehicles, the Model T can generally be described the same way a car today would be. It had four tires, a steering wheel, brakes, headlights, doors and a roof. Sounds a lot like the car you’re currently driving, right? But, while the basic functions have stayed the same, it’s what’s under the hood and the special features that have been altered.
Ten years ago could we have guessed that a car would be able to give you turn-by-turn directions? Or that computerized memory systems could save your preferred settings so that when you sat in the driver’s seat your seat shifted and the steering wheel dropped to fit your needs?
These are the types of changes that we can expect to continue to see in the near future, explains Jeremy Wolfson who owns Benchmark Auto Services, an auto repair shop in Minnetonka, Minnesota. He predicts that we will see an increase in the number of safety features on a car.
One of the biggest advances that started in the late 90s and continues to be used in cars produced today is the OBD-II system that sets off your check engine light if one of hundreds of things are wrong with your car, like a loose gas cap for example, or if an excess of exhaust fumes are being released.
More cars being produced today, especially luxury vehicles, already have some of these safety measures in place, Wolfson says. And now it will shift from being a luxury, to being an expected feature. For instance, if your car needs an oil change, or your tire pressure is low, a light will illuminate on your dashboard to alert you that these areas need attention. There has also been an increase in the number of airbags that a car contains: Not only are they placed in front of you in steering wheel and in the passenger-side dashboard, but they are also on the backs of seats and above you. That way if you are in a terrible crash, you will protected from all sides and angles.
Another feature that higher-end cars like BMW and Mercedes already have available in some of their models is something that Wolfson predicts will become more prevalent in the upcoming years. And that is night vision capabilities, where you can see obstructions in the road, and the road itself, more clearly in nighttime conditions.
And, you can’t forget about all the changes that are being made to how a car is powered. Every day engineers are looking for new sources of fuel, including electricity, water and even corn oil. While these types of vehicles tend be more pricey because of their limited availability, they may soon encompass the norm for vehicle standards.
In the upcoming years, chances are that you won’t find a car that only has one tire or that operates without an engine. But, who knows, there may be a car that stops on its own when an accident happens in front of you so that you can avoid being involved. All we can do is wait and see.
