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GM study shows benefits of AEB and other safety features

On Behalf of | Sep 17, 2019 | Car Accidents |

A General Motors study has measured the benefits of automated safety features like automatic emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alerts. Drivers in West Virginia should be aware that these features are known by the name of advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS. GM, together with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, analyzed crash data for 3.8 million GM vehicles across 10 states, distinguishing between cars with ADAS and those without it.

Vehicles with automatic emergency braking saw nearly half the number of rear-end collisions that vehicles saw without AEB. When it came to lane-changing crashes, active lane control with lane departure warnings reduced their number by 20% while the lane change alert, when combined with blind-spot alerts, reduced them by 26%.

The best results were seen in situations where drivers were going in reverse. AEB, when put together with rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot cameras and rear park assist, reduced the number of fender benders in reverse by 81%. A study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety came up with similar results at 78%, and this one was not limited to GM vehicles.

ADAS can have some drawbacks for drivers. Many drivers are annoyed by the technology and wind up turning it off while others fear that the price for ADAS is too steep.

Of course, ADAS cannot prevent all accidents. Those who are involved in a car crash and who believe that they themselves are not at fault may file insurance claims in the effort to be compensated for their losses. In this state, plaintiffs who are less than 50% to blame can recover damages. Still, negotiating for a settlement with insurance companies may be hard without a lawyer. Victims may want to have their case evaluated first. If retained, the lawyer may handle all negotiations.