Can 40,000 lives per year be saved?

CBS News recently reported on the future of automobile safety features which may save thousands of lives every year. On November 17th, high-tech companies from around the world displayed the future of cars at an automobile technology convention at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan.

On display were cars that detect pedestrians about to be hit and even automatically stop before a crash. Mercedes-Benz appears to be the forerunner in this technology.  The M-B vehicles on display featured windows which automatically roll up and seatbelts which automatically tighten once the vehicle "sense" that an accident is imminent. 

Various companies unveiled their latest Intelligent Transportation Systems, allowing vehicles to communicate with each other and with drivers, letting them know about upcoming sharp turns, accidents and other dangers.

Another safety system is called gaze detection, where you have a camera mounted in your car that registers where your face is positioned and exactly where your eyes are looking.

The car has a radar that will detect anything in your way, so if a child runs out in front of your car and your eyes are elsewhere, the system will alert you.

Some of the other features on display were cars with 200 sensors used to help reduce traffic – they'll figure out the shortest ways to get to destinations, avoiding accidents and backups that would cause traffic tie-ups.

The top car manufacturers have been working on this technology for years, and say once it's deployed throughout the country countless lives will be saved. Car industry officials say before they can roll out the technology, Congress needs to finance the radios and sensors that will be required throughout the country to create the communication network.