Each year, vehicles get smarter and safer. Today 90% of vehicles sold include advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These systems use cameras, infrared sensors and satellite connections to make driving easier and safer.
If your vehicle has automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, or collision avoidance – all of those are ADAS!
But here is the big question: in a car with automated features like these, who is the driver?
You. Not the car or the ADAS.
You are the driver, and you are responsible for the safety of your vehicle, no matter its automated features.
This, unfortunately, is not understood by many drivers:
- 29% of drivers with adaptive cruise control engage in other activities while driving.
- 30% of drivers with blind spot monitoring, don’t check their blind spots before changing lanes.
We all know the potential of ADAS to enhance road safety and reduce crashes and injuries. At the same time, we have all seen the dangerous consequences when drivers become overly reliant on these technologies or misunderstand their limitations.
The technology is not perfect. Dirt, snow and ice can affect sensors and cameras, and blind spot monitors cannot always detect cars travelling at high speeds.
The National Automobile Dealers Association joins PAVE and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation in educating the public about a critical road safety message: an attentive driver is required in all vehicles commercially available for sale today, even when using sophisticated ADAS technology.
Learn more at WhoIsDriving.org.
