Modern luxury automobiles can be equipped with an impressive array of systems designed to not only keep you safe in a crash, but prevent one altogether. Features like adaptive cruise control, which ties you vehicle speed to the car in front of you (after establishing a safe following distance); lane departure correction, which steers you gently back into the center of the lane should you errantly drift over a painted line; and collision intervention, which applies the brakes when a pending collision is detected, even if the driver is unaware, are now available on most mid-to-high range automobiles.
We say “available,” since such safety features often come bundled into expensive “Technology” of “Safety” packages. According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), such features add as much as $3,500 to the cost of a new car. Despite this, The Detroit News (via Left Lane News) says that the NTSB wants to see advanced safety features made mandatory on new cars.
While there’s no doubt that the technology would keep inattentive drivers safer, those of us who pay attention behind the wheel would also be forced to absorb the higher price of new cars, with little to no tangible benefit. Sure, the cost to implement such systems is likely to drop over time, but the real question is how much and how soon?
Also, don’t forget that you can get discounted new car pricing with a free quote through qualified local dealer partners.
The good news is that the NTSB can’t require automakers to change the way enhanced safety systems are offered on its own. That takes NHTSA and DOT involvement, and there’s no indication that these agencies are in agreement with the NTSB’s recommendations. Even if they were, the soonest manufacturers would be required to act on a ruling would be 2017, meaning that those of not needing advanced safety systems still have four or five years left to shop for a new car.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
