New Study Drives Home the Importance of Collision Avoidance Systems

According to the Institute for Highway Safety, vehicles with collision avoidance systems are involved in fewer accidents and injury-related car crashes. This safety technology is proven to reduce serious car accidents, injuries, and fatalities. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to negligence, call the experienced car accident attorneys at Cogburn Law Offices today for a free case consultation.

Vehicle Safety

Vehicles equipped with collision avoidance systems are able to anticipate collisions and automatically correct the steering or apply the brakes to avoid accidents. Some capabilities, such as forward-collision warning systems, have been around for several years, but they are found mostly on high-end luxury cars. As safety technology improves each year, collision-avoidance systems are becoming more affordable for mainstream cars.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) considers collision avoidance systems so important to safety that they have added it to their testing and safety evaluations. They have determined that these systems can prevent many car crashes resulting in serious injuries and fatalities often seen by a car accident lawyer. IIHS top overall safety scores are seen on cars with forward-collision warning systems and automatic braking systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to make some collision-avoidance systems mandatory in the near future.

Collision Avoidance Technology

Collision avoidance safety systems rely on a number of cameras, lasers, sensors, and short- and long-range radar to monitor things that are going on around a vehicle. These safety systems sense and see other vehicles, traffic signals, road signs, as well as motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. They input information into a computer system that prompts some type of action from the car or the driver. To get the driver’s attention, the computer may issue alerts or warnings such as a flashing dashboard light, a series of beeps, a tug on the driver’s seatbelt, or a vibration in the steering wheel. If the driver doesn’t respond, more advanced systems will activate the braking system.

Forward-collision warning systems alert drivers with a series of audible sounds when they are getting too close to the car ahead of them. They also pre-charge the braking system to prepare for crash impact. Cross-traffic warning sensors alert drivers to cars that are approaching from the sides. The alert is often an audible chirp and a visual cue in either the outside side mirror or the rear camera’s dash display. More advanced systems can also pick up bicycles and pedestrians. Cross-traffic alert systems are especially useful for drivers who need to back into a traffic lane when adjacent parked cars obscure the view.