Collision avoidance systems reduce the risk of injury accidents, but too few vehicles have them installed. These were among the findings of several different studies that examined 2015 data. Some of the drivers in New York and throughout the country who do have lane departure warning systems and blind spots alerts might also be turning off the alerts if they come in the form of a beep, which annoys some drivers, instead of a seat vibration.
The vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety examined data on cars with the safety systems installed and looked at more than 5,000 accidents. She found that in vehicles that had the safety systems, there were 11 percent fewer single-vehicle accidents or accidents caused by side swipes or head-on collisions. Injury accidents of this type were reduced by 21 percent. Studies of Volvos in Sweden and truck fleets in the United States found accident rates reduced by as much as 50 percent when lane departure warning systems were installed.
However, most new vehicles for sale still lack these safety features as standard equipment. Only 6 percent have lane departure warning systems, and only 9 percent have blind spot alerts. While over half of vehicles offer these safety features as options, they are often expensive since they come bundled with other features.
These safety systems may help reduce the number of accidents caused by careless or distracted drivers. For example, a driver who is texting might be alerted by a lane departure. Unfortunately, with so few vehicles in operation containing these features, a high rate of injury accidents due to human error is likely to continue. A person who is injured in a car accident caused by another driver might want to ask a lawyer for assistance in seeking compensation for the losses that have been sustained.
