Most people in California have seen or heard ads that tout sophisticated safety features in new vehicles. These include things like forward collision warning or lane keeping assistance. Unfortunately, it seems that while these technologies are readily available, they are not frequently included in the new vehicles that consumers purchase. Safety appears to be taking a back seat to profits in this situation.
As reported by Auto World News, out of the 2019 model vehicles sold, less than half of them were driven off the lot with what would be identified as an advanced safety feature. A total of 56% of new vehicles failed to include these elements that are proven to help prevent fatalities or lessen the severity of injuries should an accident occur.
This may be due in part to the fact that automobile manufacturers reserve these features as optional items to be added, charging consumers dearly for the ability to be safer. This forces many car buyers to opt out of installing these features because they are not affordable.
A consumer watchdog group is apparently pushing to have more of these safety features installed in vehicles as a matter of protecting lives. They point to the fact that seatbelts have prevented 300,000 automobile fatalities since 1960 as proof to the effectiveness of safety features in vehicles. This, coupled with research that shows nine out of 10 serious injuries in crashes are caused by human error highlight the importance of preventive measures and making safety the priority it deserves to be for everyone’s sake.
