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Study shows collision avoidance systems reduce injury crashes

On Behalf of | Feb 13, 2018 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |

Collision avoidance systems can significantly reduce injury car crashes in New York and nationwide, according to a 2017 study. Conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it analyzed the impact of warning systems on traffic safety.

For the study, researchers identified more than 5,000 car crashes in 2015 that were caused by lane departures and blind spots. They then compared the performance of vehicles with collision avoidance technology to those without it. They found that vehicles with lane departure and blind spot warning systems were 11 percent less likely to be involved in single-vehicle, head-on and sideswipe accidents. When those types of accidents did occur, collision avoidance systems reduced the rate of those that resulted in injuries by 21 percent.

According to IIHS, lane departure warning systems could have prevented at least 55,000 injuries in 2015 if all vehicles had been equipped with the technology. This backs up the findings of similar studies that have shown these systems can reduce crash rates by approximately 50 percent. In 2017, only 6 percent of all new vehicles offered lane departure warning systems as standard equipment. Meanwhile, only 9 percent of new 2017 vehicles came standard with blind spot warning systems.

While crash avoidance systems help reduce some traffic accidents, thousands of people are still injured in serious crashes each year. Occupants of other vehicles who are involved in collisions caused by the negligence of another driver often require lengthy medical care and treatment. They might want to have a lawyer’s assistance when trying to obtain compensation for the resulting hospital bills and other losses.

Source: CNBC, “New report shows how many accidents, injuries collision avoidance systems prevent“, Phil LeBeau, Aug. 23, 2017