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IIHS Praises Latest Automatic Braking Systems

The automatic braking systems in 14 of 19 models recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have won the group's top rating.
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The automatic braking systems in 14 of 19 models recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have won the group's top rating.

IIHS categorizes the performance of such systems which step in if the driver fails to act by automatically applying the brakes to mitigate a frontal crash as "basic," "advanced" or "superior."

Superior systems in the institute's latest tests can be found in the:

  • 2016 Acura ILX and RLX sedans and MDX and RDX crossovers
  • 2016 BMW X3 crossover
  • 2015 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans
  • 2015 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars and two versions each of the C-Class and CLA sedans
  • 2016 Mazda6 sedan and CX-5 small crossover
IIHS bestows "superior" ratings on auto-brake systems that provide major speed reductions when a crash is imminent and may or may not warn the driver before taking action. "Basic" systems meet National Highway Traffic Safety Administration performance requirements but provide only minimal speed reduction in IIHS tests.

The institute notes auto-braking is most often available in luxury cars but is beginning to show up in more moderately priced vehicles. It says some form of front crash prevention system is available in 27% of 2015 models sold in the U.S., twice the proportion in 2012.

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