Collision avoidance systems and rear-end collisions

Posted in Firm News, Motor Vehicle Accidents on April 19, 2017

The statistics and facts do not lie when it comes to the dangers of rear-end collisions on roadways in Washington and across the country. As the National Transportation Safety Board has reported, more than half of all accidents occurring in 2012 to 2014 were rear-end crashes with 1,700 annual fatalities as a result. This is alarming because these accidents are so easily preventable. In general, the main cause is simply drivers who are not paying attention to what is happening on the road before them.

The NTSB believes that such accidents could be reduced by the introduction of collision avoidance systems as standard equipment on new vehicles. These systems include autonomous emergency braking and alarms or collision warning devices that would sound and catch the attention of the driver, enabling him or her to react in time to hopefully prevent a crash or at least lessen the extent of the severity of the crash.

As USA Today reports, though, getting these collision avoidance systems as standard equipment included in new vehicles is a hard battle. The NTSB has been working for years to try to get mandates and legislation in place without any luck. Car manufacturers stick by their opinions that such added technology should be the option of the consumer, while the government is finding it hard to get support from the public. Awareness of the studies showing how beneficial such systems are is simply not something the average person is aware of and the passion to fight for such legislation simply is not there. If you have been injured in a rear-end collision, speak to a local and trusted car accident lawyer today.