Many of the drivers on Florida’s roads are younger and inexperienced. Teens, in particular, are more likely to get into an accident. However, safety tech has proven to be beneficial to younger drivers.
Limits damage severity
Two studies performed by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) showed that drivers under the age of 25 particularly appear to benefit from the technology.
The first study saw the HLDI examine insurance claims filed by owners of Honda, Kia and Subaru drivers. Some of those vehicles were equipped with crash avoidance technology while others lacked it. The researchers compared the findings of the respective vehicles and discovered that claim severity was lower in those whose vehicles were equipped with safety tech. The most notable differences were seen in claims from drivers younger than 25.
Keeps young drivers safer
The second study examined data on motor vehicle accidents between 2016 and 2019. It showed that teen drivers can remain safer with safety tech in their vehicles. The HLDI found that when a teen driver’s car was equipped with crash avoidance technology they were more likely to stay safer. By contrast, the institute reported that teen drivers are four times likelier to experience a crash compared with those 20 and older and are 20 times more likely to be killed.
The researchers reported that crash avoidance technology could help in different ways. Specifically, it could prevent head-on collisions, drifting into other lanes and blind spot accidents. Other safety tech that was examined helped prevent speeding, forgetting to put on a seatbelt and notifying young drivers of nighttime curfews.
In all, the researchers came to the conclusion that safety tech could prevent or at least mitigate around 41% of all car accidents involving teen drivers, 47% of injuries to such drivers and 78% of teen driver fatalities. Clearly, safety tech can save lives if you remember to use it.