Sixty-six vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK award for 2011, including 40 cars, 25 SUVs, and a minivan. TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also must have available electronic stability control, a crash avoidance feature that significantly reduces crash risk. The ratings help consumers pick vehicles that offer a higher level of protection than federal safety standards require.
Vehicles are doing a better job of protecting people in crashes, but a new crop of advanced technology aims to prevent many crashes from happening altogether. A new study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) finds that one kind of advanced forward collision avoidance system is working to prevent about a quarter of the common low-speed crashes that happen in everyday commuter traffic.
The study of insurance claims found that Volvo XC60 midsize SUVs outfitted with a standard collision avoidance feature called City Safety are far less likely to be involved in low-speed crashes than comparable vehicles without the system. City Safety is designed to help a driver avoid rear-ending another vehicle in slow-moving, heavy traffic. Claims under property damage liability coverage — the insurance that pays for damage to vehicles that an at-fault driver hits — were filed 27 percent less often for the XC60 than other midsize luxury SUVs.
For more information: www.iihs.org
An early crop of advanced crash avoidance technologies includes some clear success stories when it comes to preventing crashes, insurance claim analyses by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) show.
Forward collision avoidance systems, particularly those that can brake autonomously, along with adaptive headlights, which shift direction as the driver steers, show the biggest crash reductions. Lane departure warning appears to hurt, rather than help, though it’s not clear why, and other systems, such as blind spot detection and park assist, aren’t showing clear effects on crash patterns yet.
HLDI analysts looked at how each feature affected claim frequency under a variety of insurance coverages for damage and injuries. Clear patterns were seen in claims under property damage liability (PDL) insurance, which covers damage caused by the insured vehicle to another vehicle, and collision insurance, which covers damage to the insured vehicle. Frequency is measured as the number of claims relative to the number of insured vehicle years. An insured vehicle year is one vehicle insured for one year, two vehicles for six months, etc. The model years of the vehicles included ranged from 2000 to 2011, depending on when an automaker introduced a feature. Insurance data through August 2011 were used.
Volvo Cars’ all-new XC90 – which will be revealed in August – will offer the most comprehensive and technologically sophisticated standard safety package available in the automotive industry. The new technologies will take the company a significant step closer to its vision that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car by 2020.
The XC90 is the first car in the world with technology that features automatic braking if the driver turns in front of an oncoming car. This is a common scenario at busy city crossings as well as on highways, where the speed limits are higher. The all-new Volvo XC90 detects a potential crash and brakes automatically in order to avoid a collision or mitigate the consequences of a crash.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/71400582-all-new-volvo-XC90-safest-car
A new online survey shows just how difficult life insurance conversations can be. Parents would rather talk to their children about drugs/alcohol, religion and politics before life insurance, which is a topic only slightly more comfortable than sex/puberty. The survey also shows parents are the primary source for initial conversations about life insurance. This topic avoidance might be one reason that 22 percent of Americans feel they are not at all knowledgeable about life insurance. The State Farm survey, conducted by Harris Interactive among over 2,000 U.S. adults also revealed a gap in Americans’ knowledge of life insurance and general misconceptions about the benefits life insurance provides to those who are insured.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56798-state-farm-survey-life-insurance-benefits-policy-family-bucket-list-liam
PetSafe® brand is offering pet parents an affordable, effective way to allow their pets to play safely in their yard with its new Free to Roam Wireless Fence™ system.
Traditional above-ground fences cost thousands of dollars and may not be an option for people living in rental properties. The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence provides a convenient solution for a fraction of the cost of traditional fencing.
The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence covers a circular area of up to half an acre or 180 feet in diameter. The boundaries can be adjusted from 5-90 feet in all directions of the indoor transmitter. Since the system is completely wireless, there are no unsightly cables to bury – simply plug the transmitter into a standard outlet.
“Our new Free to Roam Wireless Fence system is made with pets and owners in mind,” said Marcus Wolf, category manager for PetSafe Containment and Avoidance products. “A wireless fence gives pet parents peace of mind to let their dogs safely enjoy their yard. It makes it easy and fun for pets and their parents to enjoy fresh air and exercise.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7827751-petsafe-free-to-roam-wireless-fence/
A new test program by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the performance of front crash prevention systems to help consumers decide which features to consider and encourage automakers to speed adoption of the technology. The rating system is based on research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) indicating that forward collision warning and automatic braking systems are helping drivers avoid front-to-rear crashes.
