UK-based car industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has said that new cars being manufactured in the UK are safer than ever before as they are fitted with advance safety assistance systems.

The industry body said that nearly two-thirds of new cars include advanced features such as autonomous emergency braking and collision warning that reduces driver errors and prevents accidents.

Recent statistics from SMMT and JATO Dynamics show that around 66.8% of new cars are fitted with at least one self-activating safety system, either as standard or as an optional extra.

Additionally, approximately 1.8 million new cars per year are now available with collision warning systems, an increase of 20% compared to last year.

Collision warning systems alert the driver when they sense an imminent accident.

Parking assistance is said to be the second most popular safety system, fitted on 1.58 million new vehicles, while autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is the third most popular option, being fitted to 1.43 million cars.

“Fully autonomous cars may still be some way off, but millions of consumers are already enjoying the benefits of new technology which can only help make our roads safer.”

Meanwhile, overtaking sensors are installed in 1.1 million new cars, whereas Adaptive Cruise Control, which allows the car to slow down and speed up automatically, is available in 978,744 cars.

Rounding off the top five was Blind Junction View, which helps drivers spot approaching vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists when pulling out of a blind junction, was fitted in 261,199 cars.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Safety is the number one priority for vehicle manufacturers and the pace of technological change is faster than ever before, with driver assistance technologies now available on the majority of vehicles cars.

“Fully autonomous cars may still be some way off, but millions of consumers are already enjoying the benefits of new technology which can only help make our roads safer.”

With the growing number of cars fitted with collision avoidance systems and driver aids, road accidents in the UK have seen a 10% decline in last five years, according to SMMT.