Driver assistance systems need safeguards: safety group

Having an advanced driver assistance system in your car, where cameras and sensors allow it to offer things like adaptive cruise control or lane centring, doesn’t mean you have a self-driving vehicle.

Drivers still need to be alert and paying attention to what’s up ahead.

But some manufacturers have oversold how much their systems can do, which can lead to real-world consequences, especially when drivers do irresponsible things behind the wheel, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

What could go wrong? Plenty.

“In egregious cases, drivers have been documented watching videos or playing games on their cellphones or even taking naps while speeding down the expressway,” according to an IIHS news release, which highlighted a fatal 2018 crash involving a Tesla Model X in Mountain View, California. In that accident, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the driver was most likely distracted by a cellphone video game when the vehicle’s “autopilot” system accelerated into a highway crash attenuator.”

What’s needed to limit these types of situations are adequate safeguards, according to IIHS, which plans to begin rating them later this year.

“To earn a good rating, systems will need to ensure that the driver’s eyes are directed at the road and their hands are either on the wheel or ready to grab it at all times. Escalating alerts and appropriate emergency procedures when the driver does not meet those conditions will also be required,” IIHS said, noting that it’s not clear that these systems actually improve safety.