The Future of Motor Safety: Automation

I
have always wanted to study engineering in college, but I was not
always sure what I specifically wanted to do for my career. It was
not until last year when I was involved in a car crash on my way home
from volunteering, that I knew I wanted to work on technology to make
cars safer.

I
was hit by a woman who ran a stop sign because she was on her phone.
Considering she hit the driver’s side door, I was lucky to escape
with no injuries. However, if that collision had happened any faster,
I could have been seriously hurt, and my car could have been totaled.
Once my car was finally fixed and I was back driving again, I would
flash back to the collision any time I got in the car. Collisions,
big or small, affect victims physically, mentally, and financially,
and after experiencing those effects, I was inspired to make a
difference.

After
I was hit, I realized I wanted to ensure other drivers did not have
to experience all the effects of an accident. This fall, I will be
studying mechanical engineering at Texas Christian University; after
graduating, I plan to focus on autonomous systems, specifically ones
for motor vehicles like cars and trucks. As a member of my high
school’s robotics team, I have experience designing and building an
autonomously operated robot. Autonomous systems are nothing new for
cars; automatic braking, cruise control, and self-parking are just a
few features that exist today. I hope to pursue a career that allows
me to enhance current autonomous features as well as add to the
existing list to make driving even safer for those on the road. For
example, I was hit by someone on their phone. Even though that woman
was distracted by her phone, a safety precaution such as an automatic
braking system would have prevented the collision. This could
ultimately lead to a decrease in motor vehicle accidents and driving
related deaths. More and more car manufacturers are implementing
innovative safety technology, and I want to work on improving this
new technology and increasing accessibility in order to prevent
accidents like mine and save lives.

As
autonomous technology improves and becomes more common in all cars,
drivers will need to learn how to best use these features for their
benefit. Drivers ed plays a huge role in motor safety, teaching
future drivers the rules of the road and how to safely operate a
vehicle. Innovations to safety technology can prevent accidents that
might be out of the driver’s control. The combination of automatic
safety systems and drivers ed will be critical in keeping
drivers safe on the road. Improving technology and keeping drivers
informed about the benefits of safety features will help improve
safety on the roads and decrease motor vehicle deaths, and I am
passionate about pursuing that cause in my future career.