Luxury car buyers are becoming more concerned with safety. Rich people want to be protected by their vehicles.
However, it isn’t always clear which brand offers the best safety profile. Now, though, figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal a winner – the German automaker Audi.
The NHTSA examined the crash rates per 1,000 drivers. Audi was found to have a crash rate as low as 0.54, well below Mercedes’ 0.55 rate and Subaru’s 0.75 rate.
The question on many people’s lips is why Audi is so safe. Mercedes, after all, is the car manufacturer who tends bring the latest technology in safety to the market first.
The main reason appears to be the brand’s heavy investment in safety technology in recent years. The company does a lot of research and develops technologies in-house. This allows them to sell their products at a cheaper price than competitors. The range of models includes comprehensive safety features, not just the high-end ones.
Do you need advanced safety features?
In the past, skeptics ridiculed advanced safety features in cars, calling them gimmicky. The evidence shows that the system is very effective, especially over the last few years. These advanced driver assistance system are now mature and have a significant impact on insurance claims. LexisNexis Risk Solutions data suggests that property damage and bodily injury claims have been reduced by 19% with these systems.
This is good news for drivers. This means they can expect to have statistically different results when driving Audi vehicles compared to conventional cars. It is a true upgrade.
Adam S. Kutcher has a keen understanding of the effects of car accidents. The attorney has a vast knowledge of the harm that vehicle collisions can cause.
“The people that come to us are real people who are often going through the most challenging time in their life,” he says. “People worry about who will pay their medical bills and lost wages, even if insurers agree to pay to replace vehicles. That’s why this new technology is so exciting for everyone who practices in this area. We don’t want to see people getting hurt. Instead, we want to make sure everyone stays safe and that as many people avoid this harrowing experience as possible.”
The tort law helps victims of accidents by adding additional provisions to the legal code. But the reality is that many people never recover from their injuries and can’t go back to work, regardless of the medical care they receive.
“We can sometimes get big rewards for people seriously injured in car accidents, but financial compensation is only ever partial,” says Kutcher. “Money can’t fix a disability or even a tragic death in the family for an auto accident. That’s why car manufacturers are stepping up to the plate and investing in this technology.”
The Components of Advanced Driver Safety Systems
The term advanced driver safety systems is used to describe a variety of technologies that car manufacturers include in their vehicles, thanks to advancements in chip and software technology.
One of the most desired features is automatic emergency braking. Now, vehicles can brake on their own if the driver believes a crash is imminent. This helps to prevent rear-end collisions and jackknifings at intersections.
In recent years, manufacturers have increased the number of situations where this technology can be activated. The cameras were originally designed to prevent drivers from hitting the car in front, but they can now detect traffic even when reversed and brake automatically.
Blind spot detection is a critical technology. The vehicles warn the driver if there’s another car in their blindspot and may even prevent them from changing lanes if that vehicle is present.
The use of forward and rear collision alerts is also increasing. These warn drivers whether they are likely to be hit by another vehicle, giving them a chance to take evasive measures or brace.
Audi’s vehicles are also equipped with a sophisticated pedestrian detection system. Computers and sensors scan the road in front of them, keeping an eye out for pedestrians, even if they are walking from behind parked vehicles. Vehicles will brake automatically if they suspect a collision.
Adaptive cruise control is also available in many vehicles equipped with advanced driver-safety systems. This feature matches the vehicle’s speed to the traffic ahead, speeding up and slowing down without any driver input necessary. It’s a safety feature because it eliminates human error from the equation. The risk of drivers causing harm is much lower.
Should You Buy a Luxury Car with Advanced Safety Features or Not?
Of course, the big question is whether or not you personally should purchase a luxury automobile with advanced safety technology. Once drivers have experienced these features, many of them will never go back. That’s certainly true of professional Lyft and Uber drivers.
But the systems are pricey. The automotive industry is struggling to recover billions of dollars in sunk costs due to the shortage of microchips.
“We’d obviously like to see more people choosing to use advanced safety features in their vehicles,” Kutcher admits. “But when you see the pricing, it is clear that the industry has a long way to go before the technology becomes universal.”
Repair costs can also be a problem. AAA found that vehicles with automatic braking systems, blind spot sensors, and lane departure warnings require more maintenance than conventional cars. It is impossible for the average mechanic to maintain cars. Specialized technicians with the correct tools are needed. Fixing problems is not easy.
Even so, those who make the jump to these technologies almost always say it’s worth it. And that’s why premium European brands like Audi are so keen to include them in their new vehicles. Luxury isn’t just about comfort. Luxury also involves a certain level of safety.
Surprisingly, more than one in ten drivers switches off their vehicle’s safety systems, preventing them from working. Hopefully, regulation will stop this in the future.
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