Automated braking prevents more accidents than first thought
A study by renowned highway safety experts indicates that automatic emergency brakes may be even more beneficial than originally thought. The study, which reviewed vehicle accident data in General Motors vehicles, indicates that automatic emergency braking systems are especially helpful in preventing rear-end collisions. The addition of automatic emergency brakes might end up saving lives on Louisiana highways.
The study was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS. The IIHS study reviewed GM vehicles from model years 2013-2015. It compared records from GM indicating whether those vehicles had automatic emergency brakes to police car accident reports. The study then correlated the relationship between rear-end collisions and vehicles with automatic braking compared to vehicles without an automatic braking system.
For GM vehicles, there are two types of automatic braking systems available. The first, Front Automatic Braking, detects an impending front-end crash and automatically applies the brake in an attempt to avoid the collision. The second, Forward Collision Alert, also senses potential crashes but only warns the driver through an audible alert. Both types of systems were included in the data reviewed by IIHS.
The end result of the study showed a strong relationship between the addition of automatic braking systems and a reduction in vehicle accidents. Cars with automatic braking were 43 percent less likely to be involved in a rear-end collision. What’s more, these vehicles were 64 percent less likely to be involved in rear-end collisions that result in injury.
While technological advances keep making the roads safer, the truth is that car accidents are still inevitable. An individual injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another person may be entitled to recover damages from that person. Those damages might include pain and suffering, hospital bills, repair bills and lost wages. An attorney experienced in handling personal injury cases may be able help an individual in collecting those damages from the responsible party or their insurance company.
Tags: Car Accidents
