Drivers in Texas might be interested in learning about a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board related to additional safety measures. The recommendation, presented in the form of a 60-page report that was recently issued, suggests that collision avoidance systems should be standard in all new commercial and passenger vehicles as they can help to save potentially thousands of lives per year.
According to the NTSB report, rear-end crashes result in about 1,700 deaths and some 500,000 injuries every year, and the use of collision avoidance systems can help to lessen how severe these accidents are and even prevent many. There are various systems available. Some systems can warn drivers when a collision is imminent and indicate when the driver should brake or even brake for the driver. Others include electronic stability controls. All are designed to prevent car collisions.
The systems, however, could potentially cost consumers additional thousands of dollars, and in the past, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has said that they believe the inclusion of these systems should be the choice of the consumer. For its part, the NTSB has issued many similar recommendations over the last 20 years, but the agency is concerned about the minimal action that has been taken, particularly when only four passenger vehicle models in 2014 included collision avoidance systems as a standard feature. A reason often used for this is that there is the possibility of better technology about to be developed and the NTSB worries that the search for perfection might actually result in the wasting of an opportunity to save lives.
Even with safety features installed, motor vehicle accidents continue to take place, and injured victims often face mounting medical expenses. If the accident was caused by the negligence of another driver, a victim may wish to speak to an attorney about the advisability of seeking compensation through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible driver.
