Clark’s 16-year-old daughter, Rebecca, recently got her license and Clark talks with her all the time about the dangers of driving. Clark has explained to her that the chances of getting into an accident are very high the first year of driving. It’s due to lack of experience and the invincible feeling many teens have. But the statistics for all drivers are staggering. According to the Wall Street Journal, 1.2 million people will die in car accidents this year. In the next few years, it’s expected to top 2 million people. That’s thousands of people a day. So, what can we do about it? Well, wearing a seat belt is key, and air bags are also helpful. But the real answer comes from preventing the accidents in the first place. For instance, Honda is working on a bumper design change to prevent SUV fatalities. Also coming are adaptive cruise control, lane departure systems and blind spot warning systems. These kinds of technologies sense when you’re drifting out of your lane or when a car is in your blind spot and alert you. What about “collision mitigation breaking,” which automatically apply the brakes when accidents are about to happen. You’ll find these things to be completely routine in the next five years, so keep your eyes and ears open.