Unlocking Car Safety: Do Accident Avoidance Systems Work?

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 from their study from July 2023:

Automatic emergency braking. Identifies when a possible collision is about to occur and reponds by activating the breaks. 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 14%

• Claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 24%

• Large truck front-to-rear crashes by 41% 

Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Warns the driver of impending collision and automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not take action. This feature reduced:

• Pedestrian crashes by 27%

• Pedestrian injury crashes by 30%

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 7%

• Claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 8%

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 (when combined with rearview camera and parking sensors) by 78%

• Claim rates for damage to the insured vehicle by 9%

• Claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 29%

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!