Costs of Preventing Beaufort, SC Rear-End Crashes

In Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head, there are many types of motor vehicle accidents that endanger drivers or that lead to fatalities. One of the most common types of collisions is a rear-end accident. Personal injury lawyers in Beaufort, SC know that rear-end accidents are usually considered the fault of the driver who is in the back vehicle. This motorist often makes a careless or dangerous choice and then strikes the back of the lead car, potentially causing serious injury to occur.

Drivers could avoid many rear-end accidents if they stopped driving impaired or drowsy and if they always paid attention while they were operating their vehicles. Unfortunately, human error is always going to occur and drivers aren't perfect. In-vehicle safety technologies aim to help make up for imperfections in drivers by automating certain crash-avoidance features. The question, however, is what consumers think these systems are worth and whether they are willing to pay for the possibility of avoiding future collisions.

Costs of Preventing Rear-End Accidents in Beaufort

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around a third of all car crashes in the U.S. are rear-end collisions.

Some drivers, however, are less likely to have rear-end accidents than others. Drivers of the Volvo CX60, for example, had 20 percent fewer car accident claims than people who were in similar vehicles. The reason for this: Volvo has had rear-end crash prevention technology as a standard feature since 2008.

Rear-end crash prevent technologies are available on other cars. As of 2015, around 27 percent of vehicle models have the option to include rear-end crash prevention systems. These systems involve a radar and/or cameras that detect when your vehicle is about to hit another car or another object in front.

The system then sends up a warning and tells you to brake (some cars also have braking systems that will help your braking to be more effective when you step on the pedal). If you do not respond to this warning, automatic emergency braking technologies will kick in and the car will brake on its own in order to either try to avoid hitting the car in front or to slow down the impact of the crash.

So, why aren't these technologies available in more cars if they are effective, and why aren't people opting to buy them? Perhaps the answer is because they consider the cost too great. Rear-end crash prevention technologies cost around $700 to $800 to make and install, according to the Washington Post. However, due to the markup on these technologies, they can add between $2,000 and $3,000 to the price of a new car.

If this seems high, consumers need to be remember that this technology could save lives. It could also reduce insurance premiums, which can make up for some of the added expense for this important safety feature.

A Beaufort South Carolina personal injury attorney can help if you've been injured or a loved one was killed in an accident. Contact Twenge + Twombley today at 866-452-6315 for a free case consultation.