Do Accident Avoidance Systems Make Your Car Safer?

Vehicle technology continues to advance at a fast pace, but have innovations to avoid crashes made vehicles safer?

Two of the leading resources in vehicle safety—the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)—studied the effects of crash avoidance technology features in cars. Based on police reports and insurance claims, they compared crashes from vehicles with crash-avoidance technology to vehicles without. Here are the findings:

Forward collision warning. Alerts the driver when another vehicle, person, or animal is too close in front of the vehicle. This feature reduced:

• Front-to-rear crashes by 27%

• Front-to-rear crashes with injuries by 20%

• Claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 7%

• Claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 14% 

Forward collision warning with autobrake. Warns the driver of impending collision and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not take action. This feature reduced:

• Front-to-rear crashes by 50%

• Front-to-rear crashes with injuries by 56%

• Claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 13%

• Claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 21% 

Lane departure warning. Identifies when the vehicle drifts out of the lane without activating the turn signal. This feature reduced:

• Single-vehicle, sideswipe, and head-on crashes by 11%

• Injury crashes of the same type by 21%

Blind spot detection. Senses other vehicles beside and behind the vehicle. This feature reduced:

• Lane-change crashes by 14% 

• Lane-change crashes with injuries by 23%

• Claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 9%

• Claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 12%

Rearview cameras. Provides visibility behind your vehicle. This feature reduced backing crashes by 17%.

Rear automatic braking. Detects items behind the vehicle and applies the brakes if the driver fails to act. This feature reduced:

• Backing crashes by 62%

• Claim rates for damage to the insured vehicle by 13%

• Claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 26%

Rear cross-traffic alert. Notifies of traffic approaching from the sides when driving in reverse. This feature reduced backing crashes by 22%.

The numbers are in and show crash-avoidance technology has made cars safer. These features can help prevent crashes and save you money on your auto insurance. Contact Acuity about our vehicle technology discounts today!