Survey of new car drivers

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety commissioned researchers from the University of Iowa to survey drivers who recently purchased a 2016 or 2017 model-year vehicle with ADAS technologies. Researchers evaluated drivers' opinions, awareness and understanding of these technologies and found that most did not know or understand the limitations of the systems:

Blind spot monitoring: 80% 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.
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking: Nearly 40% 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 one in six vehicle owners in the survey reported that they did not know whether or not their vehicle was equipped with automatic emergency braking.

False expectations for ADAS systems can easily lead to misuse of the technology or an increase in driver distraction. In the survey:

About 25% of drivers using blind spot 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.
About 25% of vehicle owners using forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems report feeling comfortable engaging in other tasks while driving.

"New vehicle safety technology is designed to make driving safer, but it does not replace the important role each of us plays behind the wheel," Yang continued. "The prospect of self-driving cars is exciting, but we aren't there yet. Automakers have an ethical and important responsibility to accurately market, and to carefully educate consumers about the technologies we purchase in the vehicles we drive off the lot."

Special Reports /

Drivers rely too heavily on new vehicle safety tech, AAA research finds

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