In 2011, the Department of Transportation reported that there were 1.7 million rear-end accidents in the U.S. New technology is now here that will automatically stop or slow down a car that is bearing down on another vehicle or object.
Automatic braking technologies combine sensors and brake controls to slow and stop a car. Some systems prevent collisions but others only reduce the speed of impact. They cost a $1,000 or more.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently ranked vehicles with a collision avoidance system placing two Subaru models at the top its list. Crash tests measured how quickly a vehicle alerted drivers about possible rear-end collisions and whether vehicles avoided a crash or reduced their speed by at least 5 mph.
Below is a list of the seven vehicles whose auto braking systems received the best ratings.
- Subaru Legacy
- Subaru Outback
- Cadillac ATS
- Cadillac SRX
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Volvo S60
- Volvo XC60
