Continental Corp.

More than 28,000 people were killed in passenger vehicle accidents in the U.S. in 2007, with another 2.2 million injured, resulting in a $230-billion drag on the economy.

Here are some technologies that are making their way out of the labs and onto the roads that have implications about how components are designed and vehicles are built.

As automotive supply companies provide sophisticated systems that aid drivers, they are discovering that electronics technology is driving what they do. Here's a look at one technology and one supplier's approach.

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Accelerometers for AirbagsA family of high-g acceleration sensors able to detect rapid deceleration of vehicles during a crash has been developed by STMicroelectronics (www.st.com). These "AISI DS" peripheral-sensor accelerometers provide single-axis, in-plane motion sensing from ±20 to ±400 g.

Designing, Engineering & Making The Drop-Top

The number of sensors on the average vehicle continues to rise, but it’s how you take that information and relay it to the driver that really matters.

Kieran O’Sullivan of Continental talks about how changes in tech will make in-vehicle information and entertainment more accessible.