All manufacturers of light vehicles who signed a 2016 agreement have fulfilled the commitment they made to equip their vehicles with crucial auto emergency braking systems to prevent car accidents.
The 2016 agreement was brought about by the efforts of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Twenty automakers participated in the agreement in which they agreed to substantially increase the number of manufactured vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking systems. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, between August and September 2023, additional automakers fulfilled their pledge of installing auto emergency braking systems on 95% of their light vehicles. With this, all 20 automakers that signed the agreement are in fulfilment of their commitment.
This means that a majority of the light vehicles that weigh less than 8,500 pounds on our roads will be equipped with this crucial car accident prevention technology. Some auto manufacturers, including Honda, now have close to 100% of their light vehicles equipped with auto emergency braking systems while other manufacturers have at least 95% of their light vehicles equipped with these car accident prevention systems.
Auto emergency braking systems make use of technology that includes cameras and sensors to constantly monitor the road in front of a vehicle. If the system detects objects, pedestrians or vehicles in front of the car and also identifies there has been no input from the driver, it will automatically apply the brakes in order to slow down the car and prevent an auto accident.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is now calling on manufacturers of heavier vehicles, including pickup trucks, to install automatic emergency braking systems in all of their vehicles in order to make these cars safer for all. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes that a combination of auto emergency braking systems and forward collision warning systems can cut car accident risks by as much as 50%. Based on those estimates, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes that by the year 2025, as many as 42,000 car accidents and approximately 20,000 personal injuries in these auto accidents will be prevented as a result of the integration of auto emergency braking systems in all vehicles.
Auto safety technology plays a crucial role in the prevention of car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. With more and more features becoming not just voluntary add-ons, but standard features on automobiles, we can hope that there will be a significant reduction in the number of people killed in these auto accidents in the years ahead.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in an auto accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical costs, lost income and other forms of damages. Talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.