Many people think that the heavy duty construction of older model vehicles makes them safer. This isn’t the case. The improvements in safety systems in newer vehicles could reduce the number of crashes that occur on this nation’s highways.
One system that is present in many new vehicles is the automatic emergency braking system. This system uses sensors to detect when the vehicle is coming up on an object. Based on the data gathered, the vehicle can take action to slow down or stop to prevent a car crash.
This system can also come with other safety systems that help to prevent crashes. These include lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning and forward collision warning systems. Many vehicle owners reported that these systems did work to prevent accidents.
When it comes to the previously named safety systems, the ones that people are most satisfied with are the rear cross traffic warning and blind spot warning systems. Each of those has an 83 percent satisfaction rating. The blind spot warning system has the highest rating when it comes to accident prevention; however, lane keeping assist and adaptive cruise control were at the bottom of the list.
All of these systems aren’t without a downside. Some vehicle owners have reported that the false alerts and audible warnings were annoying. The forward collision warning system topped the list of those with at least one false alert. Around 45 percent of vehicles with this system had given at least one false alert, including unnecessary sudden braking.
The safety benefits of these systems shouldn’t be limited to only people who can afford the newest luxury cars on the market. Hopefully, cost effective methods will soon come out so that everyone on the road can reap these benefits.
Source: Consumer Reports, “The latest car-safety technologies have the potential to significantly reduce crashes,” Mike Monticello, accessed Dec. 22, 2017
