New technology is helping to make things safer for people who walk. Cars are being made with things like airbags for pedestrians, bonnets that pop up, and systems that automatically brake if they sense a person in front of the car. But these features can be expensive, so car companies are trying to make them more affordable.
One big challenge is figuring out how to make cars safer for people who walk or ride bikes. Some car parts, like the pillars around the windshield, can be really dangerous for them. Volvo has come up with airbags for pedestrians and bonnets that pop up to help with this, but not all car companies are using these ideas yet.
It's not just about having things in the car that help after an accident. There are also systems that can help prevent accidents from happening in the first place. These systems are getting better at using sensors to detect not only people walking, but also people on bikes. The speed and size of a car also make a big difference in how bad an accident can be, especially bigger cars like SUVs.
The rules and tests for how safe cars are for people who walk are getting better. For example, a group in Europe called Euro NCAP now looks at how safe cars are for people getting out of them, and in the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is thinking about making rules for how safe cars need to be for people who walk. The goal is to stop really bad accidents and make cars safer for everyone.
Original news source: How to make cars less dangerous for pedestrians (BBC)
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Prepare a list of statements related to car safety features mentioned in the article (e.g., "Pedestrian airbags should be mandatory in all new cars"). Have students move to different areas of the room based on their level of agreement (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree). Afterward, facilitate a discussion where students must explain their positions.
– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One student is a news reporter, the other is an expert on car safety technologies. The news reporter conducts an interview with the 'expert' based on information from the article. Encourage the use of specific vocabulary and details from the text.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article (e.g., "bonnet," "sensor," "pedestrian," "airbags," "SUV"). Students take turns drawing the terms on the board without speaking or writing words, while the rest of the class guesses the vocabulary.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as "How can technology further improve safety for pedestrians?" Students first think individually, then pair up to discuss their ideas, and finally, share their thoughts with the class, encouraging them to use new vocabulary and structures they've learned.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to write down their predictions about the future of car safety, using information from the article as a starting point. They might consider technological advancements, changes in regulations, or societal shifts. After writing, they share their predictions with a partner or the class and discuss the likelihood and potential impact of these predictions.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
Jessica Hart thinks we need better streets, more careful drivers, and safer cars, especially considering the safety of people outside the car, not just those inside.
New technologies include pedestrian airbags, bonnets that lift to cushion impacts, and automatic braking systems that activate when a person is detected in front of the car.
These safety features can be expensive, so car companies need to work on making them more affordable for everyone.
The pillars around the windshield are mentioned as being particularly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
Volvo has introduced pedestrian airbags and bonnets that pop up to make the car less dangerous in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.
Systems that use sensors to detect pedestrians and cyclists and help prevent accidents, like advanced driver-assistance systems, are being improved.
The bigger and faster a car is, the more severe an accident can be, especially for pedestrians and cyclists who are hit by the car.
Euro NCAP is now evaluating how safe cars are for people getting out of them, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering new rules for car safety in relation to pedestrians.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
It's really important to make cars safer for people who walk, ride bikes, or use scooters. Hart, who is part of a group called DC Families for Safe Streets, we need to have better streets, more careful drivers, and safer cars. She says that when people buy cars, they usually about the price and how safe it is for the people inside, but they don't always think about the of people outside the car. New technology is helping to make things safer for who walk. Cars are being made with things like airbags for pedestrians, bonnets that pop up, and systems that automatically if they sense a person in front of the car. But these features can be expensive, so car companies are trying to make them more affordable. One big challenge is figuring out how to make cars safer for people who walk or ride bikes. Some car , like the pillars around the windshield, can be really for them. Volvo has come up with for pedestrians and that pop up to help with this, but not all car companies are using these ideas yet. It's not just about things in the car that help after an accident. There are also systems that can help prevent accidents from happening in the first place. These systems are getting better at using to detect not only people walking, but also people on bikes. The speed and size of a car also make a big difference in how bad an accident can be, especially bigger cars like SUVs. The and tests for how safe cars are for people who walk are getting . For example, a group in called Euro NCAP now looks at how safe cars are for people getting out of them, and in the US, the National Highway Safety Administration is thinking about making rules for how safe cars need to be for people who walk. The goal is to stop really bad accidents and make cars safer for everyone.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is one thing you think car companies should do to make cars safer for people outside of the vehicle?
2. How would you feel if your city made it a law for all cars to have pedestrian safety features?
3. Do you like the idea of having airbags on the outside of cars for pedestrians? Why or why not?
4. Do you think the price of a car should increase if it means the car is safer for everyone? Why?
5. Have you or someone you know ever been in a situation where pedestrian safety features could have helped? What happened?
6. What is your opinion on bigger cars like SUVs? Do you think they should have stricter safety requirements?
7. How would you feel if you found out the car you're riding in doesn't have good safety features for pedestrians?
8. Do you think your government is doing enough to make sure cars are safe for people who walk or ride bikes?
9. What is more important to you when buying a car: how it looks, how much it costs, or how safe it is for everyone?
10. How do you think we can encourage more people to care about the safety of pedestrians, not just the people in the car?
11. Have you ever seen a car with pedestrian safety features like automatic braking? What did you think about it?
12. Do you think driving tests should include how to use and understand pedestrian safety technologies?
13. What is one way you think we can make streets safer for people who aren't in cars?
14. How would you feel if your favorite car brand didn't offer any pedestrian safety features?
15. Do you think bikes and scooters should also have some kind of safety features to protect pedestrians? What kind?
Individual Activities
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π Write a Summary:
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