IIHS Report Shows GM Autobrake Feature Reduces Number of Crashes

Advanced driver safety systems may sound like a great idea, but they also add to the cost of the vehicle and can make repairs more expensive. So you have to wonder, are features like automatic emergency braking really worth the money? Based on the latest report, they probably are, at least in GM vehicles.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a recent study of GM vehicles shows strong evidence that forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking prevent wrecks. It found that cars with forward collision warning had 17 percent fewer front-to-rear crashes and 30 percent fewer front-to-rear crashes with injuries. When automatic emergency braking was added, those numbers jumped to 43 percent and 64 percent respectively.

The IIHS says the results are similar to those from an earlier study that involved Acura, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Volvo vehicles. That study found that forward collision warning reduced crashes by 27 percent and reduced crashes with injuries by 20 percent. Combining forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking brought those figures to 50 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

“The evidence has been mounting that front crash prevention works, and it works even better when it doesn’t solely rely on a response from the driver,” said Jessica Cicchino, the IIHS’ head of research and author of both studies, in a statement. Sure, it would be nice if all drivers could be counted on to pay attention at all times, but since they can’t, it’s good to know systems such as automatic emergency braking are so effective. After all, it’s not like anyone likes getting rear-ended.

Source: IIHS

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