The motor insurance research centre investigated the potential impact of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and found that thousands of accidents could be prevented or the effect lessened if all cars were fitted with the technology from 2015.

The research found that deaths or serious injuries could fall by 17,000 by 2025 and could also cut whiplash claims, which currently total 550,000 per year and cost the UK insurance industry a total of £2 billion, pushing premiums up in the process.

Earlier this year, Thatcham Research chief executive Peter Shaw said: 'AEB and other ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems) have a critical role to play in avoiding both common low-speed bumps that can cause injuries such as whiplash, and mitigating injuries and fatalities from medium-speed crashes.'

Meanwhile the Association of British Insurers has called for UK motor manufacturers to fit autonomous emergency braking as standard on all new cars to help cut personal injury claims by nearly a fifth.

In response, What Car has greeted the technology as most important safety innovation in more than 30 years.

Alex Newby, What Car?’s consumer editor, said: ‘When seatbelts became compulsory for front-seat occupants in 1983, the number of motorists killed or seriously injured fell by almost 50% overnight.

‘AEB could have a similar effect, making it the most important safety innovation in more than 30 years. This type of active safety aims, primarily, to avoid the crash in the first place, rather than minimise the after-effects.

‘There are several active safety systems that experts recommend in particular, but AEB is the only one that they unanimously agree we should all be demanding on our next car.’

Other important car safety technology identified by What Car? includes Lane Support, Attention Assist and Speed Alert systems.