Which of the five major safety configurations is the most life-saving? Risk aversion index rankings!

With the continuous development of automobile technology, the configurations of cars are becoming more and more abundant. Safety configurations such as ACC, AEB, BSW, etc., have made everyone confused. 

Not long ago, the American Consumer Reports conducted a survey and evaluation on safety configurations. Today, let's take a look at which black technology safety configurations can save lives.

Blind Spot Warning (BSW)

Safe-haven index 60%

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In the survey and evaluation of "American Consumer Reports", the BSW blind spot warning system can avoid 60% of car accidents, which is the highest percentage of risk avoidance among ADAS auxiliary safety systems. 

People usually think that only large vehicles have blind spots, but all vehicles, regardless of size, have blind spots to varying degrees, which can cause unpredictable accidents when vehicles merge or change lanes. 

The BSW blind spot warning system can use sensors to judge the vehicles behind, and remind the driver through visual, auditory, tactile and other means when the vehicle changes lanes, thereby reducing the occurrence of accidents. 

Usually when a vehicle is changing lanes, the BSW blind spot warning system will provide a visual warning in the rearview mirror so that the driver can see and react. But a better BSW system can detect and warn other vehicles before they enter the blind spot, and remind the driver to react with visual and auditory warnings. 

It can be said that the BSW blind spot warning system is very useful. Whether for large or small cars, BSW can help drivers avoid danger when changing lanes. Hyundai Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and other brands all have the best BSW blind spot warning system. 

Rear Cross Traffic Alert RCTA and Rear AEB Braking

Safe-haven index 52%

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The RCTA rear cross traffic alert system may sound confusing at first, but it actually uses wide-angle detectors on both sides of the rear of the car to detect whether there are cross-traffic vehicles on the left and right sides, and alerts the driver with sounds and lights.

When paired with the AEB rear automatic emergency braking system, it can identify vehicles or people approaching from behind and respond with automatic braking. According to surveys, RCTA and AEB can avoid 52% of car accidents. 

However, some car owners have reported that the RCTA and AEB systems of some cars are too sensitive and may give false warnings, causing sudden warnings and emergency braking when reversing.

According to a survey of car owners conducted by Consumer Reports, RCTA and AEB of brands such as Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Lincoln, and Mazda all performed well. 

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Forward AEB Braking

Safe-haven index 50%

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As two particularly important functions in the ADAS auxiliary safety system, FCW and AEB have been popularized in cars by more and more manufacturers. 

When the FCW system detects an obstacle ahead, it will issue a warning. If the system finds that the driver does not respond in time, the AEB automatic emergency braking system will be activated. 

According to IIHS safety research, vehicles with FCW and AEB systems have 50% fewer front and rear collision accidents than vehicles without the system. This shows the importance of FCW and AEB.

Of course, FCW and AEB are good, but there are also differences between the FCW and AEB developed and used by different manufacturers. In this regard, Consumer Reports has given an evaluation.

Generally good: only equipped with FCW collision warning, reminding the driver to reduce accidents. Better: with AEB emergency braking system, it can not only give warnings, but also emergency braking if the driver does not respond. Best: can operate and respond at different speeds. You should know that the best FCW and AEB systems can respond at different speeds. 

The American Consumer Reports also listed the brands with the best FCW and AEB, such as Hyundai Genesis, Lincoln, Subaru, Tesla, Volvo and other brands. 

Although more and more new cars have used these two systems, these two particularly important auxiliary safety systems are not standard. Faner believes that for the safety of passengers and people outside the car, such important safety configurations should be popularized in every car.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) 

Safe-haven index 31%

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I believe everyone has experienced falling asleep while driving at high speed. Whenever this happens, the car is in danger of deviating from the lane. The LDW lane departure warning and LKA lane keeping system can help the driver avoid danger. 

When the vehicle approaches or exceeds a lane marking, if the driver does not turn on the turn signal, the LDW system will determine that it is not the driver's intention and warn the driver through visual, auditory and/or tactile means. 

The LKA lane keeping system, on the other hand, relies on driver input to automatically correct and adjust the vehicle when it deviates from its driving trajectory, thus autonomously steering the vehicle. 

However, in the survey conducted by Consumer Reports, the percentage of people who used the LDW lane departure warning system and the LKA lane keeping system to avoid danger was only 31%. People thought that the system was too sensitive, and some unsatisfactory LKA systems could even cause the vehicle to be unable to drive straight in the lane. 

Among the many vehicles equipped with LDW and LKA systems, Cadillac, Hyundai Genesis, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and other brands, these two systems perform relatively well. 

However, Faner believes that even with the best LDW and LKA, people should not take it lightly while driving. No matter how good the safety configuration is, it is only an auxiliary configuration. If you want to be safe on the road, you should still rely on your own safety awareness.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) 

Safe-haven index 19%

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The ACC adaptive cruise control system uses laser, radar and camera to identify the distance to the vehicle in front and make corresponding speed control.

Rather than calling it a safety system, Faner thinks it is more of a convenience feature. Without the AEB emergency automatic braking system, it will not help to avoid accidents at all.

The general ACC maintains the driver's set speed, slowing down and accelerating to deal with the vehicle in front. But the better ACC system is equipped with an AEB emergency automatic braking system. It can work at all speeds, including full stop, and then return to the previously set speed. Only in this way can rear-end collisions be avoided. 

In fact, even with AEB and ACC adaptive cruise control, it can only avoid 19% of accidents. This is the safety configuration with the lowest risk avoidance percentage in this survey and evaluation. 

In a survey conducted by the U.S. Consumer Association, car owners responded that the ACC systems of brands such as Cadillac, Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Tesla, and Volvo performed very well.

In fact, no matter which safety configurations are used, they only play an auxiliary role. What can really save lives is the driver's awareness and operation. Of course, we must also admit that having these safety configurations can better avoid risks and reduce traffic accidents.