The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been studying front end collision prevention systems on many motor vehicles, and the rating system being used indicates that these systems are doing a good job of preventing car accidents or at least making them less severe. A recent round of testing involved motor vehicles that were mostly made in 2014, and it looked at how well their autobraking systems worked at 12 and 25 miles per hour.
What was found is that most vehicles that offer these accident prevention systems are providing a crucial safety enhancement. Even if a collision still occurs, the fact that the brakes are automatically applied by the vehicle allows for a less impactful crash, thus reducing damage and the risk of injury.
If these systems can downgrade a fatal wreck to one where a person is seriously injured but will recover, then these systems are a success — and it sounds like that’s what they’re doing. Serious crashes become moderate ones, and moderate crashes can become minor or non-existent accidents, so the logic goes.
Sadly, as great as these systems seem to be, this story also serves as a reminder that there are plenty of terrible drivers out there who don’t have such collision prevention systems equipped in their vehicles. Many of these drivers will cause accidents, and innocent people will be left injured, or worse.
Until autonomous or self-driving vehicles become a societal norm, accidents will keep happening. In fact, even with such autonomous vehicles, there will still be accidents. It’s the unfortunate reality of cars, and those who are hurt need to know what kind of legal options they have in the wake of a crash.
Source: Claims Journal, “Front Crash Prevention Systems in Autos Key to Preventing Crashes,” May 29, 2014