Tech a minute to factor in safety before you buy
RESEARCH from Direct Line Motor Insurance reveals that in-built car safety aids such as parking sensors, cruise control and lane departure technology can have a significant effect on reducing the number of driving accidents across the country. Based on the number and type of accidents reported by drivers with and without certain in-car technologies, the insurer found that if all cars were fitted with certain safety features, it could lead to a drastic fall in the number of road traffic accidents. Parking sensors alone could help reduce the number of times a vehicle is damaged while reverse parking by as much as 560,000 incidents and could potentially reduce the number of times a car is damaged reversing around a corner by 110,000. The study, carried out among UK drivers, looked at the number of accidents drivers had experienced in their current vehicle. It based its findings on the proportion of drivers with and without certain in-car safety technologies who had been involved in an incident. Steve Barrett, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, said: “It is clear that safety-based technology in cars has come a long way in the last 10 years. “However, it is still vitally important that drivers still use all the skills they are taught when learning to drive. While technologies such as parking sensors, lane assist and automatic emergency braking are becoming increasingly commonplace, there should be no replacement for checking your blind spots and generally being cautious and alert while on the roads.
“Ultimately, it’s the way you drive that reduces your chances of being in an accident.”
The research found that people are much more concerned with aesthetics and visual appeal of a vehicle than they are with the safety features it provides.
The most common factors influencing a person’s decision about which car to buy are price, followed by make or model.
Just over 20 per cent would choose a car based on its safety technology, while only 15 per cent would pick one based on its in-car technology, such as in-built media systems, heated seats and electric windows.