(Bloomberg) – Computerized sensors that warn driversthey're about to rear-end another vehicle or prevent other types ofaccidents are available on models made by every major automanufacturer.

The problem, according to a U.S. safety agency andaccident-prevention advocates, is that these life-savingtechnologies are optional equipment that makes its way onto a tinyminority of vehicles.

"We're not talking about the future. This is not flying cars,"said Robert Molloy, director of the highway safety office at theNationalTransportation Safety Board, which on Monday calledinstallation of such automation one of its "Most Wanted" safety enhancements. "This can bedone."

Frustrated by last year's 7.2 percent jump in highway deaths tomore than 35,000 — the steepest increase in 50 years— and the slow adoption of new technologies designed toaddress the problem, the NTSB has included several roadway safetyissues on its Most Wanted list this year.

The agency is calling for action to reduce fatalities onmultiple fronts: preventing distractions such as smartphone use,decreasing driving while impaired by alcohol and drugs, and drivingdown fatigue-related crashes. A unifying solution that addresses atleast a portion of all these issues is the suite of new safetytechnology, according to the safety board.

Incremental automation

While fully autonomous cars are years away, sensors andcomputers have made incremental automation possible, NTSB boardmember Earl Weener said in an interview. For the moment,this new technology is mainly available only in luxury packages andnot standard equipment.

The NTSB has no power to regulate and can only recommend safetyimprovements. It's recent emphasis on automation isbecause the technology has matured. "The focus is on commerciallyavailable technology," Weener said.

The technology is designed to address some of the biggest causesof crashes and deaths. A National Highway TrafficSafety Administration study in 2013 found that one-third ofreported crashes began with a rear-end collision.

Devices can now sense when a vehicle is about to collide withanother or an object on the road, issuing a warning to a driver. Insome cases, these forward-collision warning systems are connecteddirectly to a vehicle's brakes and can automatically slow orstop.

Related: Self-braking cars top 2016 wish list of U.S. safetyagency

Other systems can follow a highway's lane markings and monitorwhether it's safe to change lanes. Side-facing cameras or sensorscan also warn when another car is in the blind spot. So-calledadaptive cruise control will sense the speed of the vehicle ahead,speeding up or slowing down to maintain a safe distance.

Save lives

Because so many people die each year on the roads compared toother modes of transportation, adding these safety technologies hasa higher potential impact, NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart said.

"It can save tens of thousands of lives a year," Hart said at apress conference in Washington on Monday.

The auto industry supports the new technology, but is concernedthat including it as standard equipment immediately will drive upthe costs of new cars, Wade Newton, spokesman for the Alliance ofAutomobile Manufacturers, said in an email. That, in turn,would create its own safety issue as consumers keep more oldervehicles on the road, Newton said.

"Automakers are marketing these technologies aggressively andhope customers will consider them," he said. "But in the end thefinal choice to purchase any of these technologies — andwhether the cost impact moves the vehicle to a more expensive pricerange — really does rest with the customer."

The Alliance doesn't have data on costs of the new equipment,which is proprietary information for each manufacturer, Newtonsaid.

Safety Council

The NTSB and the nonprofit NationalSafety Council, which last month joined the agency in the callfor greater use of automated technology, are also asking the publicto bone up on how to use these systems, Weener said. Consumersshouldn't expect to drive a new car off the lot and understand howthe safety systems work without at least a little study, hesaid.

"To the extent that the technology is still maturing, we wouldlike to make sure people understand this," he said. "They stillneed to keep hands on the wheel. They need to pay attention tofollowing distance."

NHTSA, which sets U.S. policy for most safety devices on theroads, has taken some steps to push for the new technology. Earlierthis year, it reached an agreement with auto manufacturers toinstall automatic braking systems on all cars by 2022.

While the safety agency is pleased with the agreement, it wouldprefer to see the devices in cars sooner, Weener said.

"What we would really like to see, just like seat belts, is thisequipment available as standard equipment," he said.