| Do Collision Avoidance Systems Prevent Whiplash? | | | | worth of damage to vehicles every year and |
| Crash test safety can be divided into two distinct | | | | account for 75% of all road traffic incidents. They |
| areas - secondary safety, which is technology that | | | | are also the most common cause of whiplash injury |
| helps the occupant survive the forces of a crash and | | | | and subsequently the most common reason for an |
| primary safety, which is designed to prevent the car | | | | injury compensation claim by drivers. The systems |
| from crashing in the first place. Collision avoidance | | | | that are set to be incorporated into some of the |
| systems have become popular amongst | | | | most popular mainstream cars have been described |
| manufacturers as they tackle the problem of primary | | | | as a massive breakthrough for keeping motorists |
| safety whilst working in conjunction with existing | | | | safe. Although it may take some years for crash |
| secondary safety equipment such as airbags and | | | | avoidance systems to become standard in all models |
| reinforced passenger capsules. | | | | of cars, once they do become commonplace |
| Collision avoidance systems use an automatic braking | | | | manufacturers believe that the number of injuries on |
| application to reduce the speed of a vehicle rather | | | | the road will tumble. |
| than to control the direction of the car. New | | | | However, having a crash avoidance system fitted |
| technology such as radar, laser and optical sensors | | | | should not lower the vigilance of the driver, and they |
| are now being fitted to cars that will enable the car | | | | certainly shouldn't be seen as an excuse to take |
| as well as the driver to monitor road conditions and | | | | greater risks on the road in the belief that a system |
| traffic levels and give it the ability to 'sense' the | | | | will prevent all accidents. The emphasis is still on the |
| distance between vehicles. All of this combines to | | | | driver to drive in a manner that will ensure the safety |
| make driving safer and while some people may still | | | | of other road users, including pedestrians. |
| think that it falls within the realms of science fiction | | | | Through the implementation of primary safety |
| companies such as Thatcham, who have been | | | | measures such as collision avoidance systems and |
| actively working towards developing such systems, | | | | continuing research and development into secondary |
| say that these cutting edge technological | | | | systems such as front pre-crash 'intelligent' headrests, |
| breakthroughs could prevent more than 125,000 | | | | it is hoped that incidences of whiplash injury will be |
| injuries a year. | | | | greatly reduced. Whiplash currently accounts for |
| Collision avoidance systems are designed to mitigate | | | | three quarters of all road traffic accident |
| and in some instances prevent low speed impacts, | | | | compensation claims in the UK every year, with 1,200 |
| which are the most common type of crash on the | | | | claims being submitted every day. Research into the |
| road. The technology makes split second calculations | | | | causes, effects and treatment of the injury have |
| and if it detects that an obstacle is in the path of the | | | | driven companies like Thatcham to push the |
| car and the driver fails to slow down, it will | | | | boundaries of vehicle safety technology to new |
| automatically apply the brakes and disables the | | | | levels. Everyone hopes that the result will be fewer |
| accelerator at speeds up to 20mph. | | | | injuries on the road and a safer environment for all |
| Rear end shunts and collisions cause million of pounds | | | | car drivers and their passengers. |