Traffic accidents cost insurance companies huge amounts of money. And while only three out of every thousand accidents result in a fatality, the costs are still astronomical.
The cost of repairing the vehicle, or declaring it a total loss, is only the start.
According to the National Safety Council, the average comprehensive cost of a motor vehicle crash that results in a death is $4,100,000 per victim. For an incapacitating injury the figure is $208,500. For a non-incapacitating evident injury it’s $53,200. A theoretical undiagnosed injury will cost an insurance company an average of $25,300. Even if a passenger in the vehicle is able to simply walk away without injury, the insurance company has to fork over an average of $2,300.
Needless to say, insurance companies have good reason to do everything in their power to reduce accidents. Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirms that the leading causes of motor vehicle crashes are speed, distracted driving, running red lights, and the failure to use seat belts.
Education is a Priority, But It’s Not Enough
For insurers, therefore, educating drivers is a priority. Buckle up, don’t drink and drive, keep your eye on the road at all times, drive defensively, obey traffic lights and speed limits, take weather conditions into consideration, beware of distractions such as your cellphone, and, of course, don’t assume it can’t happen to you. It can. No one is immune.
But we all know that education alone is not enough. Even good drivers make mistakes. A screaming baby in an infant car seat. A reckless driver speeds by without even using an indicator in a non-passing zone. A deer jumps out of nowhere onto the road. Heavy snow, torrential rain, sleet, fog. Accidents happen. But they don’t have to.
Advanced Driver Assistance and Safety Systems
There is, in fact, a proven way insurers can reduce accidents. They can encourage their clients to install advanced driver assistance and safety (ADAS) systems in their motor vehicles. Since ADAS systems were first introduced about 20 years ago, data compiled from around the world has shown that they have proven their effectiveness, made driving safer and have significantly reduced the number of traffic accidents.
There are two types of ADAS systems, passive and active. The former warns drivers of impending threats so they can take evasive action, while the latter actually applies the brakes automatically.
Passive models, like those offered by Safe Drive Systems, are regarded by leading experts as better because they assist and educate drivers how to drive correctly and cautiously on the roads. Moreover, passive systems provide a longer reaction time, which allows drivers to prepare themselves accordingly before they apply their brakes. In addition, active systems can trigger “false positives” and automatically apply the brakes without reason, raising the risk of an accident.
The Safe Drive Systems Advantage: Cameras and Radar
When it comes to a technological solution, be sure you know what’s inside the box. In selecting a passive ADAS system, therefore, keep in mind that most rely solely on cameras. Cameras alone cannot be relied upon at night on unlit roads and in inclimate weather. Nor can a camera see what’s about to come around the next corner.
Safe Drive Systems’ advantage is that it is the only company that offers a passive ADAS system that combines cameras with radar. This maximizes effective performance even at night and under adverse weather conditions.
Safe Drive System solutions can be installed both in brand new vehicles and automobiles.
