Drivers Report Active Safety Tech Prevented Crashes In Real World, Now When Will GM Step Up?
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Active safety technology has become a rather common set of core features on new cars, but not at General Motors. GM continues to offer active safety technology for a price, often locked away in expensive trim levels. Meanwhile, drivers with vehicles that do feature the technology have reported very good things.
Consumer Reports conducted a national survey of 72,000 drivers to see if active safety features actually work in the real world. The results speak for themselves: the majority of Americans, 57 percent, said at least one active safety feature prevented a crash while they were driving. Active safety technology includes automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and more.
Of the technologies, blind spot warning was the most popular. A total of 60 percent in the survey said the system helped avoid a crash. Also nearly above the majority was automatic emergency braking. In the survey, 47 percent of respondents said AEB avoided a collision with another item, car, or pedestrian. Rear automatic emergency braking (available on the Cadillac XT5), was even more popular with 52 percent saying it avoided a crash.
The least popular systems? Lane keep assist and lane departure warning. The two technologies were most often turned off while driving and drivers noted their alerts were often annoying, or correction was too harsh.
All of this said, we do hope GM begins to rival other brands with a standard suite of active safety technology. For an automaker that bets its future on zero crashes, zero congestion, and zero emissions, the lack of standard active safety equipment (especially on Cadillacs) is rather head-scratching.
It appears this will soon change, though. The Cadillac XT6 will be the first GM vehicle to offer a standard automatic emergency braking system. The 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer and its Buick Encore GX cousin will come equipped with even more. Front Pedestrian Braking, Automatic Emergency Braking, as well as Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning will all be standard on the sub-compact-plus crossovers. Further, Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Park Assist and a High Definition Rear Vision Camera will all be optional.
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Source: Consumer Reports
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I still cannot believe GM keeps talking about its 0/0/0 Goal but refuses to make Safety Features Standard in todays cars like most Manufacturers already do. It is a complete Joke and such a Beancounter move.
The 2020 Equinox will have a host of safety features standard. Look for that to spread through the lineup.
When we bought our 2019 Equinox Premier, we originally had the lane departure, adaptive cruise control, and auto-braking turned on. My wife and I tried to drive with these features, and after two weeks, we turned them all off. They were a big distraction to our normal driving. We have no plans to use them again. If I could, I would return the vehicle, and get one without these features. It just drove up the price of the car, for something I don’t use or wanted in the first place.
I do like the 360 cameras for parking, and the backup sensors to let me know when I am close to something. I wish they would make the option for the grid lines in the backup camera have the option for stationary lines, or the turning lines. I prefer the stationary lines.
With the Equinox packages on lots changing from the 1LT to the 2FL model over the last few months, many of these safety features have been on nearly all of those vehicles we have been selling. It is a step in the right direction.
“Drivers Report Active Safety Tech Prevented Crashes In Real World, Now When Will GM Step Up?”
When Mary, Mark, and the obedient beancounters come down from the ivory tower and actually
enter the “real world”.
A business can’t keep offering less and charging more than the competition and stay in business.
Eventually, the loyal will turn their backs and never look back.