Forward crash prevention with auto braking works - Proof

Gorehamj · January 28, 2016

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
1/28/2016

Systems that can see a forward crash coming and automatically apply the brakes for a driver work. I know this first hand. Last year I was on the highway when a flock of turkeys ran across all the lanes in front of me and drivers ahead of me stopped. The Auto-braking kicked in before I could react, and likely saved me from rear ending a pickup truck in a tiny Acura at high speed.

My single example proved to me the systems work, but in case you are a skeptic, IIHS has now released the results of a five-year study on these systems. The study looked at accidents reported to police in 22 states and compared the crash rates of vehicles that had these systems to models that did not. The upshot is that accidents and injuries were reduced 40% by the systems. Interestingly, systems like those in many GM trucks that only alert the driver to the coming crash, but that do not auto-brake did not reduce injuries. They did still reduce crashes by 23%.

Read more at the IIHS site.

StinkyCheese · January 29, 2016

Or maybe people could actually pay attention when they drive and not tailgate people...

Badass69 · January 29, 2016

I like the instances of where this system locks the brakes up when passing a semi and you are in its shadow lol.

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StinkyCheese · January 30, 2016

I like the instances of where this system locks the brakes up when passing a semi and you are in its shadow lol.

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That sounds fun! How well do they work for someone like me who does 75% of their driving at night?

Badass69 · January 30, 2016

No idea. But I have read plenty of complaints on these systems with regards to shadows in daylight. It's one of those options I will not ever choose willingly lol.

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O_J_Simpson · January 30, 2016

No idea. But I have read plenty of complaints on these systems with regards to shadows in daylight. It's one of those options I will not ever choose willingly lol.

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We are using GM first gen in our K2s. Just wait until they get the bugs worked out. It will be a great feature.

Badass69 · January 30, 2016

We are using GM first gen in our K2s. Just wait until they get the bugs worked out. It will be a great feature.

Like Stabilitrack and traction control are great features according to many... lol. No thank you.

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GMCSierra4x4 · February 6, 2016

From the article, "Interestingly, systems like those in many GM trucks that only alert the driver to the coming crash, but that do not auto-brake did not reduce injuries. They did still reduce crashes by 23%."

No wonder, the system in my truck is a piece of crap. I have my detection level set to low and it goes off at least once a day on random stuff (i.e. oncoming lane curves around in front of me or around a curve on a two lane road). The reliability (or lack of) is even addressed in the owner's manual for false alarms.

In six months, my system went off 1 time as designed when I waited to brake until late to see if it would actually work.