Subaru's EyeSight System Reducing Pedestrian Claims: HLDI

Subaru vehicles equipped with the company's EyeSight collision mitigation system that detects pedestrians have significantly lower rates for insurance claims for pedestrian injuries than the same vehicles without the system, a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute has found.

The EyeSight-equipped vehicles reduced insurance claims resulting from a pedestrian-versus-vehicle accident by 35%, the May 8 study found.

The front crash prevention system includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and lead vehicle start alert. It also provides pedestrian detection by using two cameras mounted on the interior roof behind the windshield that also leads to lower repair costs that other front crash prevention systems that use equipment embedded in the vehicle's grille.

Analysts with the institute looked at bodily injury liability claims that lacked an associated claim for vehicle damage.

Subaru introduced its EyeSight system on the 2013-2014 Legacy and Outback and 2014 to 2016 Forester. The second generation EyeSight debuted with the 2015 Legacy and Outback. It was later added to the 2017 Forester. The Crosstrek and Impreza sedan and hatchback offered it for the first time with the 2015 model year. The package will be standard equipment on the 2019 Ascent three-row SUV.

For the Legacy, Outback and Forester, the first-generation system reduced claim frequency by 33%, while the second-generation system lowered it by 41%.