The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested collision-avoidance systems on 19 new auto models and granted its highest rating of “superior” to 14 of them. The remaining five were considered “advanced,” which is the institute’s second-highest designation.
“We've seen an uptick in the number of luxury and mainstream models with available autobrake,” said Dave Zuby, chief research officer for IIHS. “That's a welcome sign for highway safety and helps pave the way for the eventual deployment of fully autonomous vehicles.”
Among the “superior” rated vehicles are the BMW X3, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Acura MDX, as well as seven mass-market models, including the Mazda 6 and Chrysler 300, both of which offer technology designed to prevent front-end collisions.
The IIHS tests measure the amount of time it takes a vehicle to stop while traveling at speeds of 12 miles per hour and 25 miles per hour. As the vehicles approach a barrier that resembles the back of an SUV, their crash-prevention systems engage, alerting the driver to brake. Some of the models also feature technology that automatically forces a vehicle to brake to avoid a crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board estimates approximately 1,700 people are killed in rear-end crashes every year, with another 500,000 injured in such accidents. The board called for collision-avoidance technology to be mandated as a standard feature in every new vehicle, a measure that has endured perhaps expected resistance from the auto industry.
According to IIHS statistics, forward collision-warning systems are currently an option in half of the 784 new models being sold in 2015, yet only 27% of all new models offer collision-avoidance systems that will automatically brake to prevent a rear-end crash.
