Study Shows Reduced Crash Rates for GM Vehicles with AEB/Collision Alerts

General Motors Co. vehicles with optional automatic emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning had 43% fewer front-to-rear crashes—and 64% fewer injury-related crashes—in the U.S. than the same vehicles without the safety technologies, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

For vehicles equipped with forward collision warning but not AEB, the crash rate reductions were 17% for all front-to-rear crashes and 30% for such crashes with injuries. The research tracked crash rates for 2013-2015 model Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC cars and trucks.

The results for the GM vehicles mirror those of a previous IIHS study that involved Acura, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Volvo vehicles. That study found vehicles equipped with AEB and forward collision warning reduced front-to-rear crash rates by 50%. Rates for vehicles with only forward collision systems were down 27%.

The analysis was based on police-reported crashes in 23 states. Information such as location, driver characteristics and other safety features were factored into the study, IIHS says.

Most carmakers have agreed to voluntarily make automatic emergency braking standard on virtually all new passenger vehicles by September 2022. Previous IIHS reports indicated AEB can prevent or lessen the severity of as many as 1.9 million crashes per year while lowering injury insurance claims by as much as 35%.