New car features, known under the collective term Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, are preventing accidents and saving the lives of drivers and pedestrians. This is the conclusion of a study from J.D. Power. More than half of new car owners who were part of the study said that their ADAS helped prevent an accident in the first 90 days of ownership. Missouri residents will find the most prominent ADAS mentioned below.
First, 49% of the study participants credited the blind spot alert with preventing a crash, and 42% said the same for backup cameras and parking sensors. It should be remembered that backup cameras are actually mandated now on all new vehicles. Lastly, 35% of participants claimed that they avoided a crash thanks to the forward collision alert or automatic emergency braking.
There are also systems like pedestrian detection and warning, which can alert drivers not just to pedestrians but also to bicyclists and large animals. Adaptive cruise control helps drivers keep a safe speed and a safe distance from other vehicles. Other devices center a car in its lane and warn drivers against changing lanes without their turn signal.
The sensors that come with ADAS can be expensive. One downside of ADAS, then, is that it makes the accidents that do occur more costly.
Another issue is that ADAS can make some drivers complacent. ADAS are meant to assist drivers, not replace them. Nonetheless, those who are injured in car accidents because of a negligent driver may be compensated for their injuries and related losses. It means filing a personal injury claim against that driver’s insurance company. Since victims are likely to face opposition even during the negotiation stage, they may want a lawyer to provide guidance. If a settlement cannot be achieved, the lawyer might litigate.
