Image: Chevrolet
Cars today are safer than ever. There’s no debate. The amount of safety technology built into ever new vehicle is incredible. The chances of surviving a collision are higher than ever. But so are the chances of avoiding an incident altogether. The latter is due to advancements in what the industry calls Active Safety Systems.
Active safety systems are technologies designed to help drivers avoid collisions on the road. The array of features available is multiple and confusing. To help better understand what they are and how they help the average driver be safer on the road, we spoke to Adam Myers, Engineering Group Manager, Safety Crash Avoidance Technology and Strategy at General Motors.
What are Active Safety Systems?
Image: Chevrolet
As mentioned above, Active Safety Systems are technologies designed to avoid crashes and incidents altogether. There are multiple ways these systems work, and they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Chevrolet vehicles, for example, use cameras and sometimes radar that monitor the vehicle, road conditions, and a multitude of outside factors.
These sensors send information, alerts, and warnings to the driver to inform them of dangers ahead. Active Safety Systems can even add intervention to help assist the driver. In most instances, the driver remains in control of the vehicle, but the active safety software can nudge them in the proper direction. As Myers points out, the important note to make here is that these systems assist drivers; they are not self-driving features.
Do Active Safety Systems Work?
Image: Chevrolet
Having all this technology is great in a brand-new vehicle, but does it work? If we look at the data, it appears it does. General Motors and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute have partnered up to study the impact Active Safety Systems have made in the real world.
Based on data collected between 2020 and 2024, the introduction of automatic emergency braking was associated with, there has been a 50-57% reduction in rear-end collisions with injuries. During the same period, front pedestrian braking was also associated with a 35% reduction in collisions with injuries, while reverse automatic braking was associated with an 85% reduction in backing-up collisions.
What’s Next in the World of Active Safety?
Image: Chevrolet
Despite the incredible advances made in Active Safety over the past decade, Myers states the technology is still fairly early in what it ultimately can do. More is expected to come, not just improving the current technology, but introducing new ones.
The biggest advancements in the world of Active Safety over the past few years is how attainable the technology now is on lower-end models. It’s no longer the domain of luxury cars. Plenty of vehicles that start under $30,000 ($40,000 CAD) now have advanced safety systems standard. Chevrolet, for example, has the Trax, Equinox, Bolt, and Trailblazer come standard with Chevy Safety Assist, a suite that includes automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, forward collision alert, auto high beams, following distance indicator, and more.
Better Educating Customers
Image: Shutterstock/Zamrznuti tonovi
So, the systems work and are available in almost any new vehicle. But how do consumers know which ones to get, and how they will help them in the real world? Well, to answer the first question, many manufacturers are trying to bundle them as much as possible to have a core suite of safety systems with a singular name. Subaru has EyeSight, Nissan has ProPILOT Assist, Chevrolet has the aforementioned Chevy Safety Assist, and so on.
As Myers states, consistent packaging offered in a consistent way is important, so consumers get familiar with what it includes. It makes it easier to cover all the main functions under a simple, single-name umbrella.
On a consumer level, it’s best to explain what the feature does and avoid acronyms and jargon. Chevrolet is educating the brand’s dealers on their function in easy to understand terms, so they can then relay the details to consumers.
Dealers have a library that includes a one-pager on each safety technology that can be shown to consumers and walked through hands-on.
How Active Safety Systems Work in Everyday Life
Image: Chevrolet
Although Active Safety Systems are designed to help avoid collisions of all sizes and severity, there are other uses for the technology in everyday life to make driving easier. All the front avoidance technology is used more often than some would think.
A few examples provided by Myers include families driving in congested areas, during rush hour, and/or with a vehicle full of kids. Having a few extra sets of digital eyes can only help. Quick alerts for following too close, a pedestrian detected, or the need for immediate braking can be the difference between continuing one’s day or potential disaster.
Plus, when going through school zones, there’s some added peace of mind in case the driver doesn’t see a child run out onto the road suddenly.
Image: Shutterstock/Dragon Images
Some less extreme situations where Active Safety Systems help includes forward facing cameras, especially ones with 180+ degrees of vision. They can be a huge help in parking lots, around snowbanks, and/or tall fences. Lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring are almost necessities in our overly distracted lives. And on a personal note, reverse braking has saved this author more than once from backing into a neighbor’s garbage cans.
AutoGuide’s Take:
Image: Shutterstock/ambrozinio
We won’t try to pretend that Active Safety Systems are free, even when they’re included as standard equipment on most new vehicles. But the costs offset into the MSRP are worth it in our opinion.
Obviously, when it comes to the health and well-being of family members, passengers, and/or pedestrians, money is no object. But even the benefits of avoiding minor dings and dents are worth it. Just ask anyone who’s had to visit a body shop for a seemingly minor repair lately. Plus, as the technology continues to advance and become more accessible, costs should hopefully continue to come down.
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