Safety features such as pedestrian detection and blind-spot warning systems are still not the norm for many vehicles on the road. Consumer Reports wants to change that.
In a published commentary piece on Automotive News, William Wallace, manager of safety policy for Consumer Reports, writes that many safety features are financially out-of-reach for most consumers.
He cites the $12,000 blind spot warning system in Ford F-150 trucks and the $16,000 pedestrian detection systems in the Chevy Silverado 1500 as examples.
He also notes that, sometimes, safety features are packaged with premium add-ons, which bumps up the costs for the consumer.
According to insurance claims, blind spot warning systems prevent nearly 26% of fatal lane-changing collisions, and Subaru vehicles with pedestrian detection systems have 35% fewer pedestrian-related injury insurance claims than Subaru vehicles without the systems.
Consumer Reports petitioned Congress to mandate these systems in vehicles. So far, pedestrian detection systems are standard on 13 out of 15 top-selling 2020 vehicle models, and blind spot warnings are standard on just three.
Source: Automotive News