The New Safety Feature That Is Saving Drivers Lives

Amid a sea of recalls and accident reports, car manufacturers finally have some good news. Several different manufacturers are releasing vehicles that brake on their own to prevent collisions and emergencies — and they work. “Some cars that advertise automatic brakes really can stop the vehicle in time to prevent crashes — and there are enough of them that the insurance industry safety tester is issuing report cards on them,” USA Today reports.

According to The Institute For Highway Safety, the number of vehicles with automatic braking systems has more than doubled since 2012. Cars with the automatic braking feature — coupled with forward collision warning systems — have recently ranked among the top eight safest models in the world. “The autos include seven luxury vehicles and one large mainstream model,” NBC reveals. “Notably, half of the vehicles that earned the Superior rating are built by General Motors — which has been struggling to salvage its reputation in the wake of an ignition switch scandal — more than in any single year in its history.”

The relatively new brakes engage if drivers “do not respond quickly enough,” NBC continues. Automatic braking often prevents crashes. If not, the braking makes significant strides in dulling the impact along with any related damages and injuries.

“It would be a good thing if it was properly designed and tested so there are no failures, malfunctions, and or defects,” says Jim Dailey, Personal Injury Attorney at James J. Dailey P.C. “If it is successful I would expect car insurance companies to drastically lower the high insurance premiums they are charging drivers to operate their vehicles.”