Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
NHTSA Adds New Safety Standard to Reduce Collisions
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has added a new safety standard. The NHTSA is an agency under the United States Department of Transportation. The agency works to improve safety and reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents, injuries, deaths, and economic losses. A recent addition to the safety standards is designed to reduce the number of rear-end collisions as well as pedestrian accidents.
Charlotte Injury Lawyer Matt Arnold answers the question: “Should I give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company?”
Automatic Emergency Braking
Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is a safety feature that is currently available as an upgrade on some vehicles. AEB is designed to assist drivers by applying the brake in situations where there is a potential imminent crash detected. The system utilizes technology that detects a vehicle or pedestrian in the vehicle’s path ahead. Automatic braking kicks in if the driver fails to react in enough time to avoid an impact. While AEB is not foolproof, the NTSB expects the feature to save lives and prevent injuries.
New Standard Will Save Lives
The new standard (FMVSS 127) is projected to save at least 360 lives a year. It will also prevent about 124,000 injuries a year. The standard requires passenger vehicles and light trucks manufactured as of September, 2029, to be equipped with AEB as a standard safety feature. The standard requires AEB to brake up to 99 MPH when a vehicle is detected and up to 45 MPH when a pedestrian is detected. This standard is part of the broader National Roadway Safety Strategy.
Rear End Crashes
AEB technology will help to reduce injuries and deaths associated with rear-end collisions. Rear-end crashes are among the most common types of accidents, and they can cause serious injuries and fatalities. Some of the most common injuries include whiplash, back and neck injuries, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and internal injuries, among others. These injuries can be devastating to victims and their families and may cause lifelong disabilities.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents are on the rise. Inattention may be a factor in many pedestrian crashes. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, even at a low rate of speed, the injuries are often life-threatening. AEB technology will apply the brakes when it detects a pedestrian in the roadway ahead. This can effectively reduce the number of accidents that occur between vehicles and pedestrians. With AEB technology, the brakes are applied automatically only in cases where there is a vehicle or person detected ahead and the driver fails to press the brake.
The new standard will apply to new vehicles manufactured after September 2029. Therefore, there will still be a large number of older vehicles on the roads that do not have AEB. It will likely take years to see a vast improvement in the overall accident and injuries as a result of implementing AEB standards.
Rear-end collisions and pedestrian accidents are still a major cause of severe injuries in the United States. If you or a loved one is the victim of a vehicle accident, you may be owed compensation from the negligent driver. Damages may include medical bills, medication costs, surgery, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more. Contact us at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 for a free initial consultation with our personal injury lawyers.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/automatic-emergency-braking-guide-a1780056935/
Image Credit:
https://www.freeimages.com/photo/crash-car-1-1180905
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