Being involved in a car accident is a terrible fate that many drivers someday meet.  According to David Shepardson of Automotive News, in order to prevent approximately 1 million crashes a year in which drivers fail to hit the brakes, or to apply enough braking power, major automakers have agreed to add automatic-braking systems to nearly all U.S. vehicles by September 2022.  Yes, these automatic-braking systems exist now in some cars, but imagine the decrease in collisions with this new standard!  In case you’re having trouble imagining, here are some numbers.

“The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a group that helped reach the voluntary agreement with automakers, has said as many as 20 percent of crashes could be prevented by the technology.”  According to Mark Rosekind, U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator, there are 5 million crashes every year – a 20% reduction means 1 million less crashes!  Definitely a significant decrease.  The agreement includes automakers who represent more than 99% of U.S. light vehicle sales.  Some of these automakers include Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG.

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