IIHS: Front Crash Prevention Systems are Reducing Rear-End Collisions

Accord to a study by the IIHS, front crash prevention systems such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are helping drivers avoid rear end collisions. Based on U.S. police-gathered data, automatic front emergency braking systems and forward collision warning are cutting down rear-end crashes by 40 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

IIHS chief researcher David Zuby said that “the success of front crash prevention represents a big step forward towards safer roads.” He also stated that as the technology becomes more common, there will be less rear-end crashes and whiplash injuries that result from these collisions. NHTSA and the IIHS recently announced they have made an agreement with automakers to eventually make auto-brake standard on all models.

The study had researchers look at police-reported rear-end collisions in 22 states between 2010 and 2014 that involved vehicles from Honda, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Volvo that were equipped with front crash prevention systems. The crash rates were then compared with vehicles of the same models that didn’t have front crash prevention technologies, which were identified by their trim levels.  A previous study by HLDI based on insurance claims was used to look for other factors that might have affected crash rates such as a vehicle’s “garaging location” and the operator’s driving habits.

Injury risks were also analyzed by the IIHS’ study and it found that front collision prevention technologies also reduced the possibility of vehicle occupants being harmed in a rear-end collision. Front automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning dropped the risk of injury by 42 percent and 6 percent respectively. The combination of forward collision warning and Volvo’s City Safety system, on the other hand, lowered the risk of injury in a rear-end collision by 47 percent.

Despite the increased level of safety afforded by new technologies such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, the IIHS says it remains difficult to study the benefits of these features because automakers often package them as optional extras with other active safety aids. The IIHS also states that it’s also possible that some of the observed benefits of forward collision mitigation systems are coming from the adaptive cruise control.

Volvo’s City Safety system was found to be at its most effective on roads with speed limits of 40-45 mph, and vehicles equipped with the system were 54 percent less likely to rear end other vehicles. At speed limits of 35 mph or lower, City Safety’s effectiveness dropped to 39 percent while at speeds of over 50 mph it went down to 25 percent.

Source: IIHS via Automotive News (subscription required)

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