Over the last century, automotive technology has come a long way. The starter motor, the airbag, automatic transmission, and seat belts: the development and proliferation of these technologies have helped to make life on the road safer, more comfortable, and more convenient than ever before.
In recent times, however, it’s digital technology that’s had the greatest influence on the driving experience. Let’s take a look at how.
The Connected Car
When your vehicle is able to share information with other drivers and systems, the benefits can be considerable. Through a voice command, you might look for real-time traffic updates, and plot a new route to your destination – while queueing up a podcast at the same time.
This is made possible by the fact that modern infotainment systems can sync seamlessly with mobile devices – meaning that the vast ecosystem of smartphone apps, and their developers, can be brought into your car.
Staying Safe on the Road with Real-Time Alerts and Monitoring Tools
Digital technology is about more than simply being able to use your phone while driving. It’s also about gaining more information about the road around you than you realistically could using just your eyes. You might think of sensors that automatically detect when a car is veering into the next lane, or when it’s too close to the car in front.
The Role of Dash Cams in Smarter Driving
Of course, the most common kind of sensor is the dashboard camera. These can be fitted to every vehicle, and they can provide an ongoing log of that vehicle’s activities. The best kind of smart dash cam will tend to store footage on a central, cloud-based server. The footage they provide can be critical if a driver should need to go to court as a result of something that’s happened on the road.
What’s Next for the Tech-Enabled Driver?
The biggest area of growth in the modern automotive industry is the electric vehicle. According to sales data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, there was a 43.2% rise in sales of new fully-electric vehicles in the year leading up to March 2025. If this trend is to be sustained, the necessary charging infrastructure will need to be made available.
Another trend is that of semi-autonomous vehicles. Automated driving is already with us, in the form of things like lane assist, automatic braking, and adaptive cruise control. It seems likely that the future will see us handing more and more responsibility to machines.
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