• Technologies such as rear-view cameras, braking assist and adaptive cruise control could help cut hundreds of thousands of accidents on Britain’s roads
• However, drivers with safety tech should not get complacent; those with blind spot technology are more likely to hit another vehicle in their blind spot than those without
• Although safety tech can prevent many accidents, drivers still rank make and model of car and how it looks, as more important than its safety features

New research¹ from Direct Line Motor Insurance reveals the significant impact that in-built car safety aids such as parking sensors, cruise control and lane departure technology could have on reducing the number of driving accidents across Britain.

Based on the number and type of accidents reported by drivers with and without certain in-car technologies, the insurer found that if all cars were fitted with certain safety features it could lead to a drastic fall in the number of road traffic accidents.

Parking sensors alone could help reduce the number of times a vehicle is damaged while reverse parking by as much as 560,000² incidents and could potentially reduce the number of times a car is damaged reversing around a corner by 110,000. Rear-view cameras could also have helped prevent as many as 940,000 scrapes when reverse parking, while braking assist could have stopped more than 800,000 more serious accidents. This is around 40 per cent of the total number of reported times a driver hit the back of another vehicle.

The study, carried out among UK drivers, looked at the number of accidents drivers had experienced in their current vehicle and based its findings on the proportion of drivers with and without certain in-car safety technologies who had been involved in an incident.

Table One: The estimated number of accidents experienced by drivers with and without certain in-car technologies and the potential number of incidents that could be avoided if safety technology was installed in every vehicle

Source: Direct Line Car Insurance, 2019

Overall, nearly a third of motorists (32 per cent) have had an accident while driving, the most common of which are hitting an object or another car while performing a manoeuvre (nine per cent), hitting an animal (eight per cent) and hitting an object while trying to reverse park (six per cent). On average, each accident costs £602.70 to repair, amounting to £7.6 billion worth of damages across the UK in total since drivers bought their most recent car. This figure could be significantly reduced if safety tech was in every car.

However, despite this, drivers should not become overly reliant on technology. The research found that one in 10 drivers with blind spot technology installed in their vehicle hit a car because they didn’t check their blind spot, compared to just one in 20 that didn’t have the technology. Therefore, it is fundamental that drivers do not use in car technology to replace basic safety techniques such as looking over your shoulder before changing lane and checking your mirrors regularly.

Steve Barrett, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, commented: “It is clear that safety-based technology in cars has come a long way in the last ten years. However, it is still vitally important that drivers still use all the skills they are taught when learning to drive. While technologies such as parking sensors, lane assist and automatic emergency braking are becoming increasingly commonplace, there should be no replacement for checking your blind spots and generally being cautious and alert while on the roads. Ultimately, it’s the way you drive that reduces your chances of being in an accident.”

Research also found that people are much more concerned with aesthetics and visual appeal of a vehicle than they are with the safety features it provides. The most common factors influencing a person’s decision about which car to buy are price (55 per cent) followed by make or model (42 per cent) and its aesthetics (32 per cent). Just 22 per cent (8.6 million people) would choose a car based on its safety technology, while 15 per cent (six million people) would pick one based on its in-car technology, such as in-built media systems, heated seats and electric windows. 

Table Two: The most common factors that influence an individual’s decision to purchase a car

Source: Direct Line Car Insurance, 2019

Maybe, unsurprisingly, those who pick a car based on its safety and in-car technology, are more likely to have a newer car (under five-years-old), with 27 per cent of drivers of newer cars putting value on safety and technology and 19 per cent of drivers valuing in-car tech.  The study also found that men were more likely to value both safety (23 per cent men vs 20 per cent women) and in-car tech (18 per cent men vs 12 per cent women).

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

¹        Analysis of research commissioned with Opinium, fielded from 30^th July – 2^nd August, among a nationally representative sample of 2010 adults in the UK. The study focusses on factors that influence a consumer’s decision to purchase a car, the incidents and accidents they have experienced while driving and the safety tech they have in their current car. Some figures in the release have been extrapolated to represent a national figure i.e. “[parking sensors] could save up to 563,000 scrapes…”

²        Numbers should be seen as indicative only due to low base sizes

For further information please contact:

Emma Cava
PR Manager
Direct Line Group

Tel: 01651 831 715
Email: [email protected]

Samantha Stewart

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

[email protected]

0207 025 6497

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

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