Crash avoidance technologies: Benefit or distraction?

Advances in car safety features, such as electronic stability control (ESC) have been proven to save lives and will be standard on all vehicles by the 2012 model year. Now a host a new safety features are making their way to the market place. Will these technologies be as widespread as ESC and become significant life saving features or will they become a distraction to drivers? A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) takes a look at five new features and crash data from 2002-2006 to see how they can help prevent crashes.

Two features, forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning, are the most promising of these new technologies at helping to avoid crashes. Forward-collision warning helps to prevent front impacts by alerting drivers of the potential hazard with alarms, flashing lights, and/or on some vehicles, automatically applying the brakes.

There are more than two million front crashes—that’s 40 percent of the total number of crashes in a given year. If some of these crashes and the over 7,000 deaths that occurred from them could be prevented, then the potential benefit from this safety feature could significantly reduce injuries, related medical costs, emergency services, and repair bills. However, the IIHS warns that if drivers rely too much on technology to help them out or decide not to heed the warnings, then the benefit wouldn’t be as great.

Lane-departure warning alerts drivers, using a vibrating steering wheel, audible tone, or visual notice if they are moving out of their lane when a turn signal isn’t activated. In the period reviewed, there were almost 500,000 crashes per year and over 10,000 deaths from these accidents. A 2004 report from IIHS shows that textured pavement, known as rumble strips, have reduced head-on crashes and side swipes by 25 to 30 percent. If lane departure warning works just as well, the IIHS points out that feature could potentially eliminate more than 100,000 accidents and 2,500 deaths.

Three other safety features—blind-spot detection, adaptive headlights, and emergency brake assistance were also evaluated. Blind-spot detection helps keep track of vehicles in a blind spot by alerting drivers through a light by the side mirror or in some models, a beep. As my colleague Jim Travers notes in his recent blog, this warning can be distracting to drivers and can be turned off. There are 450,000 blind-spot-related crashes per year, but only a small number involve fatalities, limiting the benefit.

Adaptive headlights help drivers see better in nighttime driving by moving in the direction of the steering, but according to the IIHS, several studies show that drivers speed up when there are reflector posts or markers that indicate curves in the road. If this is the case, then drivers may also speed up if they have adaptive headlights.

Finally, emergency brake assist senses panic braking and prepares the brakes for extra pressure. This feature overlaps with the forward-collision warning and both systems are intended to prevent frontal crashes, so many of the crashes could be avoided by just the forward-collision warning, says the IIHS report.

Most of these technologies are relatively new and not available from all manufacturers. Volvo is the only manufacturer with all five technologies on some of its models, but other upscale brands such as BMW, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz are testing out some of these features. A recent Harris poll reveals that consumers showed an interest in purchasing blind-spot detection and lane-departure warning features, but the study also found that drivers still want control of their vehicles. Other studies show that automatic features tend to be the most effective as we have seen with existing features such as ESC and antilock brakes.

Only time will tell if these new safety features will reduce crashes and save lives, or if they may rely too much on driver response and become more of a distraction than a safety tool. Consumers shopping for a new vehicle should become familiar with the latest safety systems and seek models equipped with proven features, such as antilock brakes, side- and curtain air bags, and stability control. This latest report suggests that forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning systems are worth considering, as well.

—Liza Barth

Comments

[John]

The only technology mentioned here that I would be interested in is the panic-brake assistance. That basically sounds like an ABS system, but perhaps is even better. I've been in a few sudden-stop situations on the freeway and any extra stopping power would be welcome.

The other stuff, lane departure, blind spot warning, sound pretty pointless to me. In real-world driving, those warnings would end up going off continuously.

The only long-term benefit I see to these exotic safety features is that perhaps they are edging us closer to auto-pilot. Now that would be cool.

[David]

Instead of concentrating effort on items with real benefits, why do manufacturers keep on coming out with gadgets? I want three simple things in a car:

1) Excellent handling
2) Excellent ride quality
3) Excellent reliability

So far, no vehicle as tested by CR has ever match these three criteria as far as I am aware of. The E350 meets 1 and 2. The M35 meets 1 and 3. The LS460 meets 2 and 3. I have been reading CR reports since the early 1990s. If I were a millionaire, I would organized a "X" prize challenge for this.

[K W]

My 2005 Subaru WRX has all of the above qualities. It's the most comfortable and responsive car I ever driven.
And Subaru's certainly have reliability. (And yes, it is extremely FUN to drive). My grand children just love riding with me.

[johnmarco]

^I think the manufacturers are pursuing advanced technology and handling/ride/reliability in tandem. It's not really an either-or trade-off.

I think one reason we're seeing such a sudden proliferation in vehicle gadgetry is that it's really the new frontier. I mean, for Joe 6-pack, vehicles have topped out on power and comfort and reliability. Sure, cars can always get better in that realm, but the untapped area is technology. So I think OEMs are focusing on that since they can make huge strides. Low-hanging fruit it might be called.

Another frontier is of course efficency, and you can bet they are working like crazy on that too.

Meantime, just buy the M35 already. Have fun. It aint perfect and nothing ever will be.

[patti b]

I was stopped at a red light while in my 2006 Honda CR-V. The man behind me was distracted and rear ended me doing at least 40 mph. The CR-V was totalled. I hit the woman in front of me, who hit the car in front of her. My air bag did not deploy, and my driver's seat broke, so when I came to, I was looking up at the ceiling of the car. I have heard that the seat is supposed to break by some people, yet my physical therapist says this is not true. Does anybody know why the air bag wouldn't deploy, despite the car begin totalled with major rear end damage and moderate front end damage and is the driver's seat made to intentionally break during a high impact rear collission as some sort of safety feature?

[beanid]

Hi--so sorry to hear about your accident! Here's what I've heard about these type of safety features. I'be had several accidents myself (and the airbags didn't deploy ever) and have heard from several sources that most airbags don't deploy unless it's a straight-on front end crash (not offset like if you weren't directly behind the driver in front of you, but off a few feet, that would be offset). Also I've heard the front end crash has to be above a certain speed, I've heard like 35mph or something, for the airbags to go off. So, even though the guy behind you hit you going 40mph, you may not have hit the person in front of you going 35mph or more. I think there are sensors in the front end of your car/bumpers that have to be hit straight on at a high enough speed to deploy the air bag.
Also, I have heard of some seats that do that in an accident. It actually saves you from a whiplash injury, which I have and will likely suffer from for the rest of my life, and is really painful. Basically, in a whiplash injury, your torso is mainly stationary against the seat, while your head and neck fling forward and then back, ripping lots of soft tissue in the neck and shoulders. So, if the seat moves in the accident, then your whole body moves forward and backward, not just your neck, which spreads the inpact out, so it's not all concentrated in your neck, which should reduce the injury severity. That's the theory I've read at least.

Hope your physical therapy goes well and you heal soon!

[patti b]

Beanid,
Thanks so much for your response. I'm continuing my physical therapy, the headaches are wicked somedays, and my shoulders and neck are still painful. But I'm hoping with physical therapy I can control this pain so it doesn't control me. I really appreciate your input.
patti