Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

GM's Safety Tech Reduces Crashes by 43%

General Motors vehicles equipped with automatic braking and forward collision warning saw 43% fewer police-reported front-to-rear crashes when compared to similar vehicles that aren't equipped with front crash prevention technology, according to a new IIHS study.

November 14, 2018
GM's Safety Tech Reduces Crashes by 43%

General Motors vehicles with frontal collision reduction technologies are significantly reducing the number of police-reported crashes.

Photo courtesy of IIHS.

2 min to read


General Motors vehicles equipped with automatic braking and forward collision warning saw 43% fewer police-reported front-to-rear crashes when compared to similar vehicles that aren't equipped with front crash prevention technology, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In addition, GM vehicles equipped with those two safety features had 64% fewer front-to-rear crashes with injuries.

Ad Loading...

The study also assessed forward collision technology separately. For vehicles equipped with forward collision warning only, the crash rate reductions were 17% for front-to-rear crashes and 30% for front-to-rear crashes with injuries.

Vehicles involved in the research include 2013-15 Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands. GM provided vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for vehicles with and without front crash and other crash avoidance systems. The research team then obtained information on police reported crashes involving those VINs from 23 states including point of impact data, which allowed the team to focus on front-to-rear crashes.

The latest study offers further evidence that front-crash prevention systems are helping drivers avoid crashes, according to the institute. An earlier IIHS study explored safety technologies used in Acura, Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and Volvo vehicles.

The findings for that study showed that the combination of forward collision warning and autobrake reduced front-to-rear crash rates by 50% for crashes of all severities and 56% for front-to-rear crashes with injuries. Evaluated independently, forward collision warning without autobrake cut the collision rates 27% and 20%, respectively.

More Safety

An image to reflect an article on how the safest fleets aren't the ones with the most tech.
SafetyAugust 11, 2026

The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology

You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.

Read More →
Cover of the AgileFleet white paper "Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks" with the AgileFleet logo and a photo of fleet vehicles parked outside a government building.
SponsoredAugust 7, 2026

Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks

Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness

Read More →
conference attendees watching a speaker
Safetyby StaffAugust 6, 2026

NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis

The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
NETS crash statistics overlaying an accident photo
Safetyby Chris BrownAugust 5, 2026

Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden

NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.

Read More →
red ram recall image
Safetyby Faith HowellAugust 3, 2026

Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue

The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Utilimarc guide titled How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48% featuring a call-to-action to download the guide.
SponsoredJuly 17, 2026

How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%

Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Smiling commercial truck driver gives a thumbs-up from inside a tractor cab during Operation Safe Driver Week 2026, highlighting fleet safety, responsible driving and enforcement awareness.
Safetyby Judie NuskeyJuly 16, 2026

Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets

A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.

Read More →
Nexar and nauto logos
Safetyby StaffJuly 13, 2026

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset

Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets

From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
IIHS HLDI text overlaid on the trunks of pick up trucks.
Safetyby Chris BrownJuly 2, 2026

IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?

Read More →