ADAS Technology is Reducing Collision Frequency & Severity, Ultimately Saving Lives

For several years now, there has been confusion regarding the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems, called ADAS.

Key ADAS systems, such as blind spot warning (BSW), lane departure warning (LDW), and automatic emergency braking (AEB) were already available on some makes and models as early as model year 2016.

These technologies were promised to dramatically reduce automotive accidents and their associated injuries. Despite this, the U.S. has seen both collision frequency and severity skyrocket, especially in the years immediately following the COVID-19 outbreak.

As a result, both the public—and to some extent, the broader automotive industry—have soured on the idea of ADAS. There is a misconception that these essential safety systems are merely expensive and unnecessary technology that increases both the costs of new vehicles and their repairs—while providing little benefit to public safety.

Factors Contributing to Increasing Collision Frequency & Severity

Comparing numbers of collisions alone fails to consider other key factors in increased accident frequency and severity, such as changes in driver behavior, law enforcement, traffic patterns and ownership demographics.

Extensive research from multiple industry thought leaders points to a dramatic, post-pandemic increase in speeding, distracted driving, aggressive driving, impaired driving and high-risk behaviors by both passengers and drivers. Some of these behaviors are influenced by a reduction in law enforcement and/or changes in traffic patterns and driver demographics, as well as near-universal ownership of handheld devices.

Without ADAS, Collision Frequency & Severity Would be Even Higher

Two industry insights leaders, LexisNexis Risk Solutions and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) have undergone holistic studies comparing both police-reported collisions and insurance claims for comparable vehicles with and without selected ADAS technologies. In 2021, LexisNexis released the “True Impact of ADAS Features on Insurance Claims Severity Revealed” and in 2023, the IIHS released the “Real-World Benefits of Crash Avoidance Technologies” report.

Ultimately, the data from both were closely aligned and revealed that ADAS significantly reduced collision frequency and severity of both police-reported crashes and insurance claims.

On average, the LexisNexis study found that just one core ADAS technology reduces both frequency and claims loss cost by 23% for bodily injury and 14% for property damage, while reducing collision repair frequency by 5% and loss cost by 8%.

Bar chart showing that ADAS technology reduces bodily injury claim frequency by 23%, severity by 1% and loss cost by 23%. It also reduces property damage claims by 15%, severity by 1% and loss cost by 14%. Finally it reduces collision claims frequency by 5%, severity by 4% and loss cost by 8%

Source: LexisNexis Risk Solutions

IIHS Reports Similar Findings

The report from the IIHS breaks down collision reduction by ADAS system type, showing that AEB reduces front-to-rear crashes by around 50%, front-to-rear crashes with injuries by 56%, and claims rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 24%. When AEB also includes pedestrian detection, it reduces pedestrian crashes by 27% and pedestrian crashes with injuries by 30%.

The IIHS report also reviewed the impact of some common lane-keeping and lane-adjustment technologies, including blind spot detection (BSD) and lane-departure warnings (LDW). They found that BSD reduced lane-change crashes by 14% and lane-change crashes with injuries by 23%, while LDW reduced single-vehicle, sideswipe and head-on crashes by 11%, and injury crashes of the same types by an impressive 21%.

A chart from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) detailing the impact of AEB systems at reducing police-reported crashes and insurance claims.

Source: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

Chart showing the reduction of police-reported crashes and insurance claims with blind spot detection and lane departure warning technology on vehicles, as reported by the IIHS. According to the report, blind spot detection reduces lane-change crashes by 14%, lane-change crashes with injuries by 23%, claim rates for damage to other vehicles by 7% and claim rates for injuries to people in other vehicles by 8%. The report also finds that lane departure warning reduces single-vehicle, sideswipe, and head-on crashes by 11% and injury crashes of the same types by 21%.

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

Collision Repair Industry Impact & Caliber’s Commitment

Here at Caliber, we believe that ADAS technology is key to reducing collisions, saving lives and preventing injuries. If a collision does occur, it is our duty to make sure that not only is the vehicle properly repaired to manufacturer requirements, the ADAS cameras and sensors are properly repaired and calibrated so they can help prevent future collisions.

We have invested heavily in the proper repair and calibration of life saving ADAS technology. Here's how we fulfill our commitment to doing the right thing for the safety of everyone on the road:

The nation’s largest static-certified ADAS calibration network.
The highest percentage of calibrations performed nationally.
National partnership with Protech Automotive Solutions, the industry’s leading provider of ADAS diagnostic services.
Rollout of the Protech ADAS ID³ at all 1800+ Caliber Collision locations, to properly identify when calibration is needed.
Partnership between Protech and Caliber Auto Glass to ensure proper calibration after windshield replacement, as needed.