Crash prevention systems do make a difference on accident rates

Car Accidents,Our Blog | February 24, 2016

Crash prevention technology really works, according to one study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Rear-end accidents were reduced by around 40 percent with automatic braking technology while forward collision warning systems helped stop 23 percent of such accidents. California residents may be interested in how these figures were derived.

The IIHS gathered data from accidents in 22 states between 2010 and 2014 listed as rear-end crashes in police reports, and the study looked at accident rates for vehicles like Acura, Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Subaru and Honda. These vehicles were used because they have optional front crash prevention technology available, so the same models were compared with and without the advanced safety features. In addition to preventing wrecks, forward collision warning and auto brake systems reduced injuries by 42 percent.

If all vehicles had autobrake systems that operated as well as the ones in the IIHS study, then at least 700,000 less rear-end crashes that are reported to the police would have occurred in 2013. Front crash prevention technology is available but optional, so these systems are not as prevalent as they could be. However, efforts are underway to make automatic braking systems standard in all models.

While technology can make a big difference in keeping roads safer, accidents can still occur when drivers are not paying attention. Injured victims in a crash caused by a distracted, impaired or otherwise negligent driver often face high medical expenses as well as lost wages due to an inability to return to work. A personal injury attorney can often be of assistance in seeking compensation for those losses from the at-fault motorist.