For a long time now, auto manufacturers have been touting the latest safety innovations on their vehicles. They’ve been promising better cars with enhanced tools that should make the roads safer for everyone.
A privilege to the wealthy
There are plenty of innovative safety devices and crash-avoidance systems available on new cars, to be certain. The problem is that these are generally “optional” items that a consumer has to choose and pay premium prices to get.
For example, many new vehicles can be equipped with an automatic blind-spot warning system. If every vehicle had them, it’s estimated that they’d completely prevent more than a quarter of fatal accidents involving lane changes. However, that system is only standard on three of the top 15 car models sold in 2020. If a consumer wants it on another vehicle, they have to shell out between $2,500 and $12,000 to get it.
Pedestrian-detection devices, which could reduce those kinds of accidents by 35%, now comes standard on the majority of top vehicle models. When it doesn’t, however, consumers can expect to pay an extra $16,000 to get it.
None of this technology is as expensive as manufacturers make it seem. Instead, they’re taking advantage of the fact that they aren’t required by law to offer these devices (unlike seatbelts and airbags) to “upsell” consumers who are worried about safety. Meanwhile, that leaves the roads far more dangerous than they need to be, given all the available technology.
If you’re injured in a wreck with a careless or negligent driver, the long-term consequences to your life can be significant. Find out what it takes to get fair compensation for your losses.
