With the advent of car-crash avoidance technology, it’s hard not to gloss over the claims as marketing fluff. So do any of these new hi-tech gadgets actually prevent crashes?
Yes. According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that these systems are helping prevent accidents, with the forward-collision avoidance system with autonomous braking making a measurable difference in insurance claims. The system, which slows down a vehicle or stops it in the event of an imminent rear impact, has proven to be a lifesaver.
Specifically, IIHS looked at Volvo’s City Safety found on its S60 and XC60 models. By using infrared technology, the system determines whether you are approaching a vehicle too quickly and can apply the brakes to help avoid or minimize a collision. In the case of Volvo’s system, it is operable up to 19 mph.
Comparing Volvo models with and without the City Safety system, IIHS found that there was a 16 percent lower claim frequency for property damage liability in the S60 and 15 percent less in the XC60. For bodily injury liability, the S60 was 18 percent lower thanks to City Safety while the XC60 was an impressive 33 percent lower in claims. Under collision coverage, the S60 was 9 percent lower and the XC60 was 20 percent lower.
Many new luxury vehicles come equipped with forward-collision avoidance systems, or it can be had as an option.
[Source: Consumer Reports]
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