Many drivers over-rely on car’s safety tech
Drivers are recognizing the value in having vehicles with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as blind spot monitoring systems, forward collision warning and lane keeping assist. They offer numerous safety benefits, such as warning drivers of vehicles that cannot be easily seen alongside their cars or automatically brake to help drivers avoid a collision.
As a result, they have the potential to help prevent 2.7 million crashes on U.S. roadways each year.
But some may place too much trust in the technologies and not know their limitations, leading to an over-reliance on a system designed to assist, not replace, the driver.
Recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research shows nearly 80 percent of drivers with blindspot monitoring systems were unaware of the system’s limitations or incorrectly believed the system could accurately detect vehicles passing at high speeds or bicycles and pedestrians. In reality, the technology can only detect when a vehicle is traveling in a driver’s blindspot and many systems do not reliably detect pedestrians or cyclists. Lack of understanding or confusion about the proper function of ADAS technologies can lead to misuse and overreliance on the systems, which could result in a deadly crash.
Researchers surveyed and evaluated the opinions, awareness and understanding of drivers who recently purchased a 2016 or 2017 model-year vehicle with ADAS technologies. Results showed that most did not know or understand the limitations of the systems:
Blindspot monitoring: 80 percent of drivers did not know the technology’s limitations or incorrectly believed that the systems could monitor the roadway behind the vehicle or reliably detect bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles passing at high speeds. About 25 percent of drivers using blindspot monitoring or rear cross traffic alert systems report feeling comfortable relying solely on the systems and not performing visual checks or looking over their shoulder for oncoming traffic or pedestrians.
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking: Nearly 40 percent of drivers did not know the system’s limitations, or confused the two technologies — incorrectly reporting that forward collision warning could apply the brakes in the case of an emergency when the technology is only designed to deliver a warning signal. Moreover, roughly 1 in 6 vehicle owners in the survey reported that they did not know whether or not their vehicle was equipped with automatic emergency braking.
New AAA Foundation research also evaluated the potential these popular advanced driver assistance technologies have in helping to reduce or prevent crashes. In 2016, more than 37,400 people were killed in traffic crashes — a five percent increase from 2015. The findings show that if installed on all vehicles, ADAS technologies can potentially prevent 2.7 million crashes, 1.1 million injuries and more than 9,000 deaths.
Automakers must play a greater role in educating new car buyers about the ADAS technologies.
AAA encourages drivers to:
Read up: Read your owner’s manual to learn what systems are installed in your vehicle.
See it in action: Insist on an in-vehicle demonstration and test drive to better understand how the systems will engage on the roadway.
Ask questions: Ask plenty of questions about capabilities and limitations of the vehicle’s safety technologies. For example, ask if there are scenarios when a technology will not function properly on the road.