Rear-end accidents are the most common of all auto and vehicle crashes in the U.S. They account for just about a third of all auto accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Although rear-enders rarely cause fatalities, they cause a lot of property damage and, more important, serious injuries.
Some help for drivers is on the horizon with the proliferation of vehicles with advanced crash avoidance technologies on board. These forward-collision warning systems and crash avoidance braking systems could offer drivers the extra seconds to respond before a collision occurs. In fact, according to the NHTSA, 90 percent of all rear-end accidents could be prevented if the driver in the rear had just one more second to react.
Until these technologies are in every vehicle on the road, there are things every driver can do to prevent a rear-end accident. [Read more…]