DETROIT — After hearing good things about the latest in crash-prevention technologies, you decided to add automatic emergency braking to your new car.
The feature costs north of $2,000 on most vehicles. Yet even though data show it can prevent crashes, the discount from your insurer is likely to be zero.
Most insurers aren’t yet ready to give a break to car owners who invest in automatic braking or other new electronic technologies such as lane departure warning or blind spot detection. Many companies are compiling their own data to confirm that the devices stop crashes, while others say automakers don’t always make it clear which models have the new technologies.
The Associated Press found that of the 11 biggest U.S. auto insurers, only two offer discounts for the new electronic devices. Those are The Hartford Insurance Group and Liberty Mutual Insurance Cos. But experts say that because they are so effective in reducing crashes, it’s just a matter of time before widespread rate cuts arrive.
The Hartford has determined that automatic braking is worth a cut in rates, which could help entice drivers to get the new features. The company cuts up to 3 percent of the annual premium on cars with automatic braking and other devices. Currently the discount is only in five states — Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Arkansas — but could be expanded, said spokeswoman Julia Zweig.
“Safety technologies are becoming more widely available and are expected to improve driver safety and reduce the likelihood of collisions,” Zweig said in an e-mail.
