Stellantis made diversity, equity and inclusion an essential part of product development by adding visual hazard alerts on vehicles last year. Other automakers should follow its lead in listening to employees' input.
After the car of a hearing-impaired Stellantis employee almost collided with an emergency vehicle because she couldn't hear it coming, she recommended that Stellantis include notifications alerting drivers of nearby emergency vehicles.
The automaker responded by updating 1.8 million cars and light trucks as far back as the 2018 model year with a visual hazard alert that pops up on Uconnect infotainment screens, Automotive News reported last week. It warns drivers to be on the lookout for approaching firetrucks, ambulances and other road hazards.
The move shows how automakers should consider diversity, equity and inclusion far beyond their hiring decisions.
A higher-tech vehicle isn't always a safer vehicle. For example, as automakers intensify the brightness of headlights and taillights, they should consider the potentially dangerous effect those intense lights have on drivers suffering from migraines and light sensitivity, or photophobia. About one of every six American adults say they experience migraines or severe headaches, according to independent studies on the National Library of Medicine website. Those super-bright lights — which are even more agitating to migraine sufferers when the lights are flashing on turn signals and atop police and other emergency vehicles — can create risks of their own, especially at night.
Designing safety features for every skin tone also is a crucial concern. Some algorithms used to program autonomous vehicles have trouble recognizing pedestrians with darker skin. If design teams don't factor skin tone into those algorithms, lives could be at stake.
Every perspective can't be represented on the design team, so forums for consumers to share personal stories are essential. The Stellantis employee who suggested the hazard warning was part of the automaker's in-house brainstorming competition.
New technology can help save lives. Automakers can maximize the benefit by listening to the diverse needs of customers of all ages, abilities and races.
