Some Systems Intended to Prevent Crashes Won’t Save Many Lives

Some crash avoidance technologies are more likely to be lifesavers than others, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report that studied five safety systems. Some drivers are likely to ignore the warnings or turn them off altogether. Technology that helps detect objects in the driver’s blind spots won’t save many lives because these types of crashes lead to only about 400 deaths a year. And any benefits that “adaptive” headlights might offer could be offset by people who would drive faster. Emergency brake assistance also shows less potential. Those that are more likely to save lives are sensors that warn of frontal collisions and lane departures. The IIHS estimates that 2,500 of the 10,000 fatalities a year caused by lane departures could be prevented if all vehicles had the warning system. Volvo is the only automaker that installs all five systems on some of its models.

Source: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety e-Newsletter, April 18, 2008 from AFX News Limited, April 16, 2008 and USA Today, April 17, 2008

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