The IIHS has recently done testing on the crash avoidance systems in many luxury sedans and SUVs. Checkered Flag BMW and Hyundai are very proud of the results from the testing as they both earned a perfect score on the test. We are very proud of our overachievers.
IIHS releases new rankings from crash-avoidance tests
By Pete Bigelow
Posted May 29th 2014 10:31AM
In the past, automotive engineers focused on creating safety systems that protected drivers in car crashes. In the future, advances like the Google self-driving car on display this week, will likely remove motorists and their steering wheels from the driving equation. In the present, things are a little murkier.
The era of the self-driving car inched closer to reality this week when Google unveiled its autonomous prototype, but the truth is, in more subtle ways, drivers have already ceded some control to automated systems. Many vehicles are already equipped with new technology that offers drivers active assistance behind the wheel. Features like adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and automatic braking are more common.
"With advancements happening quicker than ever in the automotive space, not only is safety about what happens when you hit something in your car, but avoiding that scenario entirely," said Akshay Anand, analyst at Kelley Blue Book. Sold under a variety of brand-specific names, these systems can at once be alluring, confusing or even repellent to consumers.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has developed a new method for assessing the effectiveness of safety systems that deliver automatic braking capability. On Thursday, the nonprofit organization released results from the testing of 24 luxury SUVs and sedans.
Four vehicles ? the BMW 5 Series and X5, the Hyundai Genesis and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class ? earned perfect scores when equipped with the crash-prevention features, which are often sold as optional add-ons. Overall, eight cars earned the highest rating of "Superior," 13 were given "Advanced" rating and three earned a "Basic" rating.
Cars earn a "Basic" ranking if they have an autobrake system that provides minimal speed reductions. Vehicles that combine a warning with more moderate speed reductions on tests at 12 and 25 miles per hour receive "Advanced" status and ones that provide "major" speed reductions earn "Superior" status, according to IIHS.
Such systems are becoming more popular. More than 20 percent of 2014-model-year vehicles offer autobrake capabilities, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, twice as many as were available on 2013 models. Forward-collision warning systems ? with or without autobrake capabilities ? are offered as options on nearly 40 percent of all 2014 models.
They're one important way that the industry is attempting to reduce accidents. Roughly 90 percent of car accidents are attributed to human error, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. While many of the models are sold by luxury brands, many more mainstream brands are also starting to offer them on their products, including Buick, Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota.
"We know that this technology is helping drivers avoid crashes," said David Zuby, the executive vice president and chief research officer at IIHS. "The advantage of autobrake is that even in cases where a crash can't be avoided entirely, the system will reduce speed. Reducing the speed reduces the amount of damage that occurs to both the striking and struck cars and reduces injuries to people in those cars."
Source: [autoblog]-Shortened for length
Virginia Beach's BMW and Hyundai locations, Checkered Flag BMW and Checkered Flag Hyundai are very proud of the honors given to the X5, 5 Series and Genesis. The safety of their loyal customers means the world to them, and the company is going above and beyond to show that in the safety equipment available in these models.
For more information regarding the BMW and Hyundai line-up of vehicles at Checkered Flag, call (757) 687-3447 today.
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