The future of automobiles promises safer roads for everyone through the introduction of smarter cars and better safety features. But just how genuine is this promise? The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) wanted to know and examined current crash avoidance technology and systems to find out.
In its 2012 study – which you can view by clicking here to visit the HLDI News feed – the researchers look at Acura, Mercedes, and Volvo automobiles equipped with crash avoidance tech. It found that forward collision warning systems helped prevent at least 14% of car accidents that would have otherwise been caused by an inattentive driver. Forward collision warning systems send out pings like a radar to detect obstacles ahead. They will either alert the driver of the danger or automatically apply the brakes.
The HLDI researchers also found evidence that “smart” headlights may reduce the chances of a nighttime crash by 10% or more. A smart headlight system curves and turns with the vehicle, ensuring a full breadth of light is shone before the car. This can be instrumental in seeing around blind corners on winding roads at night.
Safety Tech That Causes Crashes?
In a disheartening find, the HLDI study also found that lane departing warnings might be causing more harm than good. There was no noticeable decline in sideswipe and head-on collisions in cars with lane departure warning system than those that do not. To make matters worse, some drivers reported that false alarms with such systems were frequent and actually caused them to panic, increasing their chances of causing a crash.
Tomorrow’s Tech May Be Much Better
It is worth noting that the 2012 study is verging on being outdated at this point. Unfortunately, there have not been many reliable and comprehensive studies of the crash avoidance safety systems of today. It is possible that safety systems have improved and done much to prevent accidents. However, with fatal car accidents on the rise in recent years, this also might not be the case. The correlation is not confirmed.
Autonomous cars were incredibly rare in 2012 as well. Today, more carmakers are expanding their inventory with self-driving vehicles to compete with Tesla. Initial concerns about cars taking control of the wheel and pedals have fallen off, especially in the last year, as less and less reports of sporadic autonomous driving were heard.
Lexington Car Accident Attorneys Protecting Your Best Interests
Have you been in a car accident that was not your fault? Did defective crash avoidance systems contribute to your collision? No matter where liability lies, our Lexington personal injury lawyers at Goeing Goeing & McQuinn, PLLC would like to hear from you. With our 40+ years of total legal experience and millions of dollars recovered for clients through successful case results, you can trust that we will uphold your rights and pursue every last penny of compensating you deserve.
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