Advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, come with many safety benefits for drivers in California and across the U.S. General Motors conducted a study with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute that shows what those benefits are like, and though it is focused on GM vehicles, its results are echoed by other studies. The study involved 3.8 million GM vehicles made between 2013 and 2017.
Nighttime crashes involving bicyclists, pedestrians or animals can be reduced by 21% with high-intensity discharge headlights and 35% with GM’s patented IntelliBeam technology. Rear-end crashes can be cut down by 46% with the use of forward automatic braking and forward collision alert.
The biggest difference was seen in situations where drivers are backing up. Rear automatic braking, when combined with rear cross-traffic alerts, rear-view cameras and rear parking assist, reduces back-up crashes by 81%. Rear park assist by itself will lower the number of back-up crashes by 38%. Rear-view cameras alone only lower it by 21%.
Lane change crashes are 26% less likely with lane change alert and blind spot alert. As for crashes that occur when departing lanes, they are 20% less likely when cars are equipped with lane keep assist and lane departure warning. One downside to ADAS, though, is that the sensors are costly to replace.
Those who are hurt in a car crash may be able to seek compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repair costs and more. It all depends on their degree of fault. Hiring a personal injury lawyer may be wise because the other side’s insurance company might be aggressive in denying a personal injury claim. The lawyer may negotiate on victims’ behalf, and third parties like crash investigators may help build up the case with proof that the other side was negligent.