Injury rates can be cut by collision avoidance systems

Collision avoidance systems can seriously cut down on the number of Florida car accidents and especially those resulting in injuries, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In fact, the IIHS found that vehicles with the warning systems had an 11 percent lower rate of sideswipe, head-on and single-car crashes. In addition, cars equipped with this technology saw a 21 percent decrease in the rate of such accidents causing injuries.

The systems provide lane departure warning systems and blind spot alerts, and the IIHS says that its results indicate that they work. The study looked at over 5,000 accidents that took place in 2015, focusing on the types of car crashes that the technology is intended to prevent.

Researchers say that if all cars and passenger vehicles were fitted with these warning systems, over 55,000 injuries could have been prevented in 2015 alone. However, they also raised concerns that some drivers could be turning off the systems due to annoying beeps. In similar studies of trucking fleets and Volvo cars in Sweden, the systems reduced car accidents by 50 percent. The gap could indicate that vehicle operators are switching off the warning technologies. Only 6 percent of new vehicles offered for sale in 2017 include lane departure warning as a standard technology, and only 9 percent make blind spot alerts standard. The technologies are often available as an additional option, but that can add a significant expense.

Negligent drivers are the cause of the vast majority of car accidents. People who have been harmed by a driver who was impaired, speeding or distracted by a cellphone might want to have a lawyer’s help in seeking compensation for their losses.