Some aspects of technology make life so much easier. Smartphones help us to stay organized, stay connected and stay on task. Computers assist with our work, our leisure time and so much more. Electricity, which in the scheme of things is still a relatively new phenomenon – could you imagine life without it?
One particular piece of technology that has been making life easier over the past century, in particular, is the humble automobile. Whether you drive an SUV or a sedan, there’s no doubt about the fact that owning a car makes day-to-day life that little bit easier to navigate. From dropping the kids off at school to running errands, or even taking the whole family out on an exciting road trip, modern cars open us up to a world of possibilities that we oftentimes truly do tend to take for granted.
In this useful article, we’ll be exploring four technological innovations behind modern Sports Utility Vehicles, in particular, also known as SUVs.
Global Positioning Systems
Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, is a relatively new technological innovation that makes modern SUVs super convenient to drive. Even in the past, navigating around your city would mean having to rely on a hard-copy map book. In Melbourne, Australia, these books were called Melways.
You’d need to plan your trip from the start, try to memorize your route, or even jot the turns down on a notepad to refer to as you drove. Those of a certain age will remember pulling over to check your hefty book of maps whenever you or your family were making a trip to somewhere new and unfamiliar. The constant pulling over and revisiting of the pages often carried a certain amount of anxiety and stress, both for restless kids as well as tired parents.
Now, modern SUVs have built-in GPS systems right in their control panel. This innovative technology allows you to navigate anywhere in your country with a few pushes of buttons. It will tell you where to turn, how long until the next turn, and even what lane to get into to prepare for a turn.
Could you imagine life without it?
Advanced Safety Tech
Another tech innovation that has changed modern SUVs is the automated safety systems modern vehicles now come with as stock standard inclusions.
One of these features is Anti-Lock Braking Systems or ABS. This technology makes braking hard and fasts a lot safer, as the system steps in and exerts more control over the car, making it less likely to skid, slide and potentially dovetail.
If you’re looking to buy a new car, it’s imperative that you look for ABS as a safety inclusion on any model you may be considering. The inclusion of these safety features can play an immense role in ensuring that you and your family stay safe and secure when on the road.
More Safety Tech – Lane Drift Detection
Another safety feature behind modern SUVs is lane drift detection. This little piece of innovative technology will detect when you are about to drift out of your lane and will ping a warning sound at you. This prompts the driver to check their surroundings and can potentially reduce the chances of a collision as you drive.
It is worth noting that these systems sometimes don’t turn on until you are driving over a certain speed, so they shouldn’t be relied upon on a daily basis and should be considered a failsafe.
Auto Start-Stop Systems
Most modern SUVs will come equipped with this nifty technology. Automated start/stop systems detect when your car comes to a standstill – in traffic, at the lights, or at a stop sign. These innovative systems will then stop the engine, conserving fuel, until you release the brake. Then, it triggers the engine to start quickly once more, allowing you to take off.
The main benefit to this piece of tech is that it conserves fuel. Stop-start driving makes cars consume fuel at a rapid rate compared to coasting on a freeway at a high speed. By turning off the engine, this system firmly puts an end to excess fuel consumption.
A Car Conclusion
In this nifty blog post, we’ve shared four technological innovations behind modern SUVs. We covered GPS navigation, and safety features such as ABS and lane drift detection. Our final piece of information was stop-start systems, and how these conserve fuel.
Hopefully, our coverage of these pieces of modern automobile tech will help you select your next new car with minimal fuss.
