The transportation industry is slowly merging with the tech industry. Cars aren’t just cars anymore, they have sophisticated GPS systems, cameras, and sensors. They’re becoming more and more automated to the point where companies are exploring self-driving vehicles.
Before we get to the point where cars don’t need a driver’s input at all, people are calling for automatic emergency braking systems. Thatcham, the United Kingdom’s motor insurance industry’s research center, is calling AEB the most important vehicle safety feature in recent years.
A push for safer cars and roads has encouraged automakers to agree to add this safety feature throughout their vehicles, soon making the potential for much safer streets and highways a reality.
This technology is exactly what it sounds like. When a car senses something in its way through cameras, radar, or other sensors, it stops. The object in its way could be a person, another car, or any animal – it doesn’t matter. The vehicle determines it’s there, that a collision could occur if the car keeps going, and the vehicle applies the brakes.
Twenty automakers from the U.S., Europe, Japan and elsewhere have agreed to install the systems in all new cars by 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. This means within the next decade, almost everyone will have a car with this safety feature available to them.
“It’s an exciting time for vehicle safety,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives. It’s a win for safety and a win for consumers.”
Right now only some cars have automatic braking systems, many of which are high-end vehicles. However, there are affordable automobiles with this safety feature, including Subaru’s Impreza, Legacy, and Forester.
Yes, it is fully expected that AEB systems will significantly reduce accidents, which in turn will lead to fewer car crash injuries and fatalities. Some people hope the systems will make rear-end collisions a thing of the past. Also, imagine worrying less about backing out of your driveway or another spot when you can’t quite see around the corner.
Even if the safety feature doesn’t entirely prevent a collision, it can reduce the severity of the crash. Having the brakes applied earlier when a crash is about to occur reduces the speed at the time of impact, which reduces the force applied to each vehicle and body within those vehicles. Cars moving at a slower speed when they hit each other are less likely to hurt the passengers and people in them.
AEB may help people avoid accidents in the future, but until then, many people are still injured in fender benders and other collisions. If you’ve been hurt in an auto accident caused by another driver, contact an Illinois car crash attorney right away. They’ll explain your rights, help you negotiate a settlement, and if need be, file a claim in court.
Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. Contact an Illinois car crash attorney with Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. at (312) 236-2900 to learn more.
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