A 2018 J.D. Power study indicated that more than 50 percent of new car owners said new advanced safety features helped avoid an accident during the first 90 days of ownership. Drivers in West Virginia may already be familiar with technologies like automatic braking and blind spot alert; they are becoming increasingly common on roadways all over the country. Companies like General Motors and Volvo have publicly announced goals of achieving zero fatalities from car accidents, and the safety features that already exist are steps in that direction.

According to an expert in autonomous vehicles, safety systems and driver assist technologies will be important in reducing crashes for the foreseeable future. He said the greatest short term potential for enhancing road safety was in things like automatic braking, collision alert and blind spot alert. Car manufacturers tend to group all these sorts of features in the category of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, sometimes referred to as ADAS. ADAS features have been made available on vehicles ranging from low-priced compacts to luxury vehicles.

One automaker has said off the record that the company is selling fewer repair parts for their cars because the ADAS features have reduced the number of accidents. A potential problem is that accidents may be more expensive due to the safety systems’ many sensors. Reducing the number and severity of accidents may lead to a decrease in the number of car accident injuries.

People who are injured in car accidents in West Virginia might want to schedule a consultation with a lawyer. A lawyer who has experience in personal injury law may be able to help by gathering evidence of the client’s medical expenses and building a case for trial, or by conducting witness depositions. A lawyer might negotiate a settlement with insurers or draft and file a complaint in civil court.