Who Benefits Most from Crash Avoidance Technology? Young Drivers!

Why should we be teaching teens about modern vehicle safety technology?  Because according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, they benefit the most from those systems!  When analysts looked at (a) frequency of collisions and (b) property damage claims, they found that these were both lower among drivers age 24 and younger, compared to drivers age 25 and older.

The analysis looked at vehicles with several modern technologies, including lane departure warning, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.  The results are perhaps even more surprising, as the youngest drivers might be the most likely group to experience “behavioral adaptation,” where drivers with such technologies might choose to drive more aggressively.  For example, they might choose to drive faster, follow more closely, and wait later to brake.

Let’s face it- vehicle technology is not the easiest topic to teach in driver education- it can be a bit technical, and technology systems change every week.  But it’s one of the most important areas to cover, in terms of actual safety outcomes. 

More information available at https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/driving-technology-promises-large-safety-benefits-for-teens