Making safety technology standard on all vehicles would save many lives

Bill before Congress would mandate such a concept in U.S., Lorraine Sommerfeld says.

Manufacturers demonstrate the newest and best safety technology their models have got — as they should — and then, when you go new-car shopping, they keep it just out of your reach unless you jump up to the trim levels that actually include them.

A recent study by Consumer Reports argues this is the wrong way to get cutting-edge safety features into the right hands — that is, everyone’s.

The Moving Forward Act, a new bill before the U.S. Congress, aims to mandate auto manufacturers make standard on all their cars any available safety features. By the study’s estimation, it is a motion that could prevent half of all road deaths in that country.

In 2018, there were 36,560 road fatalities in the U.S.; in Canada, it was 1,743. By reducing the number of collisions and their severity, existing technology could save billions in human and property damage — if it was in every vehicle.

The Consumer Reports release highlights what has become something of an impasse: we’re all so convinced that autonomous cars will save us from ourselves and drive road collisions and deaths to a promised zero that we’re overlooking the fact we have enough semi-autonomous driving safety features available to almost do that already. What are we waiting for?

Forget yearning for autonomous vehicles. Instead, keep everyone on the road safe by requiring automakers fit to every car with the known, proven safety features that save lives. Not as a trim level, not at a premium — but as standard equipment.

The current bill before Congress is a big push to get the best we have into every car on the road at the production level. This matters to Canadians because we, for the most part, ride on

America’s coattails with regard to vehicle design and regulation.

You’re technically allowed to fit a switch to turn them off, but thankfully most of us view them as a requirement, not a nuisance.

Toyota twigged early, and offers “Toyota Safety Sense … standard on virtually all Toyota models.” This safety bundle includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane tracing, and automatic high beams. It will even warn you about speed limits and stop signs. It’s not that other auto manufacturers don’t have these technologies; it’s that Toyota acknowledges wanting these in your new vehicle isn’t the same as wanting low-profile tires or a spectacular stereo system. You shouldn’t have to opt out.

Various brands have versions of this for 2020. Subaru’s excellent Eyesight Driver Assist is standard on its Foresters, Ascents, Outbacks and Legacies. For its other models, you have to advance your trim level up from base. Nissan’s comprehensive Safety Shield 360 is standard on its Leaf, Altima, Kicks, Qashqai, Titan and Sentra and the 2021 Rogue. Acuras have advanced safety features as standard almost across the board; Buick, on the other hand, has just one vehicle (Encore GX) where you don’t have to open your wallet to reach higher. Hyundai kits out well; Jeep, less so. Consumer Reports has a great chart if you want to reference everything.

The point is, we have the tools now. Delays in deciding that all drivers deserve them is wasting time. Waiting around for autonomous cars to get here is also wasting time. Instead of wondering “are we there yet?” we should recognize that where we are could be pretty damned great.