The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt sees what its driver can’t, as one example of safety advances.
Mary Barra ’s early tenure as General Motors’ CEO was marked by a safety crisis: the ignition switch recall that tested her leadership abilities from the outset. She managed the debacle that resulted in 124 deaths and 275 injuries, and began a culture change that included making safety a priority.
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More than a decade later, GM employees say the emphasis on safety has grown stronger. The culture is even more important than when Barra took over as CEO, said Jeff Ronne, global director for the company’s Global Safety Strategy. “It is the No. 1 thing talked about at all meetings and events.”
Those meetings begin with a safety message. Participants sometimes read emotional emails from customers saved by their vehicle’s safety features. “It is ingrained in us,” said Regina Carto, vice president of GM’s Global Product Safety, Systems and Certification. The company now annually marks a global safety week to recommit its focus on the topic, including in the workplace and personal well-being.
GM invited us to its Milford Proving Ground in Michigan for an update and demonstrations of some of the safety features today found as standard equipment on many of its vehicles, even the most affordable.
Automatic emergency braking prevents a rear-end collision.
Now Is the Deadliest Time of Year
We are presently in the 100 deadliest automotive days of the year, spanning from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Overall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s latest data show that there are still about 40,000 fatalities per full year in the U.S., Ronne said. The majority involve older vehicles, which is why it is important to make safe new vehicles affordable in an effort to get older models off the street.
A 2026 Chevrolet Trax entry-level subcompact crossover starts at $23,495 and has 12 standard safety features, said Pam Walz, senior marketing manager for Chevrolet crossovers and SUVs. A $28,995 Chevy Bolt entry electric vehicle has 20 standard features. They include many advanced active safety items that give the vehicle the ability to steer, accelerate, or brake as needed to avoid a collision.
GM safety engineer worked on 1990 Chevrolet Suburban.
A Lot Has Changed Over the Years
Automotive safety has come a long way, said Bridget O’Brien, who joined GM in 1988 to work on crash safety. She was part of the 1990 Chevy Suburban team, working on a top-end SUV with plush upholstery and wood trim. It had many of the day’s latest safety features like power steering and power brakes (front disc and rear drum, with rear antilock). There were no airbags but there was an energy-absorbing steering column, intermittent wipers, and power locks and windows.
1990 Chevrolet Suburban interior.
The slew of cameras and active safety features available today were inconceivable when O’Brien started. She said she is proud of the advancements and the fact they are available across the model line.
Vehicles like the Trax and Bolt EV have a long list of standard equipment including adaptive cruise control, front pedestrian braking, rear cross-traffic braking, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and forward collision alert. “I’m proud of what’s on vehicles today,” O’Brien said.
Ronne said he thinks the most important advancement has been active safety and assistance systems that help a driver stay in a lane, or detect an object, or slam on the brakes to avoid a crash.