Modern cars are equipped with heaps of electronic devices, many of which are designed to reduce the frequency and severity of accidents. But there’s a catch: The high cost of repairing these systems may mean the vehicle is written-off, or totaled, following a crash. More than one-fifth of vehicles are now declared a write-off by insurers after examining claims; this is close to a record and around five times higher than in 1980, industry participants say. The proportion of totaled cars may incre...