Cars with auto braking to get reduced insurance premiums

Date: 31/10/2012

The owners of cars fitted with (AEB) Autonomous Emergency Braking systems are to be given cheaper car insurance, it has been announced.

According to the Association of British Insurers, companies will offer policies at a cheaper rate based on Group Ratings for those driving cars with the safety feature fitted.

The way the technology works is with sensors positioned in the front of the car which detect if a collision is about to occur and applies the brakes.

It either stops a potential collision from occurring all together or reduces the severity of those which cannot be avoided.

A number of new cars on the market offer the system, including some manufactured by Volvo and several Volkswagen Fords.

Making the move to offer cheaper premiums to those with AEB is based on a number of different studies which show that fewer claims are made by those equipped with the technology.

Tristar Worldwide, a chauffeur company, trialled AEB for six months and found a 28 per cent decrease in rear impact accidents where the fault lay with one of its drivers.

It is not just those who have AEB fitted themselves that could benefit as car insurance premiums are based on claims made by an entire demographic.

Insurers believe that the technology could cut whiplash claims by up to 160,000 a year, making insurance cheaper for all drivers.

James Dalton of the Association of British Insurers said: "The result will be more people choosing safer cars, which means more lives saved, fewer injuries and of course fewer insurance claims.

"We are delighted that we now have a process for passing this saving on to motorists to help incentivise the uptake of this impressive new safety technology."

AEB will become mandatory for all heavy vehicles from next year under a decision made by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News