From July 6, up to ten ADAS systems are mandatory for all new homologation cars in Europe (in this link we explain what they are). They are advanced driving assistance systems, key to improving road safety. Have you heard about ADAS? Do you know which ones they are? How do they work? According to the study “Knowledge of ADAS systems by the Spanish population”, carried out by Bosch and Fesvial, more than 40% of drivers acknowledge that they do not have sufficient knowledge about ADAS systems and the remaining 60%, although they state that they know them, also it shows big gaps and confusions between the different systems and functions.
The sociological study is included within the VIDAS project (road safety and ADAS) with the aim of analyzing the degree of knowledge, beliefs, preconceived ideas and level of equipment that the driving population has about ADAS systems and their relationship with road safety. Thanks to the conclusions, it will be possible to establish measures and actions that improve knowledge about its effectiveness, usability, repair, maintenance, legislation and mandatory nature. Here we tell you the conclusions of the first two studies of the VIDAS project that were presented last year.
It is important to bear in mind that different scientific studies support the effectiveness of ADAS systems, concluding that, if all vehicles had these systems installed, approximately 40% of traffic accidents, 37% of vehicle injuries could be prevented or reduced. consideration and 29% of deaths related to travel claims.
Which ADAS are equipped more?
Currently, the level of equipment for ADAS systems in the Spanish vehicle fleet is medium-low, especially in those with the greatest capacity to prevent road accidents, such as, for example, lane keeping systems, automatic emergency braking, blind spot detection or fatigue detection systems, among others.
The most common ADAS systems fitted to Spanish cars are automatic headlights, tire pressure control, intelligent speed limitation (ISA) and adaptive cruise control, although, in this sense, it is more than likely that confusion in the drivers and that they equip non-intelligent speed limiter and/or cruise control, but not adaptive.
The study highlights that three out of four drivers are in favor of making some ADAS mandatory, even if this means an increase in the price of vehicles.
Are you convinced by the use of ADAS?
The study reveals that for 60% the use of ADAS is positive for road safety and, therefore, they prefer to drive a vehicle equipped with these systems rather than one that does not, but there are 40% of drivers who do not is clear about the value of ADAS for security:
• 34% are not convinced that driving a car with ADAS systems is safer.
• 40% think that ADAS systems will not respond adequately to dangerous driving situations.
• 50% are not sure that ADAS systems act better than them in a risk situation, when 90% of accidents are due to human error.
• 70% do not trust ADAS systems to be smart enough to ensure driver safety.
• 30% are convinced that ADAS systems do not contribute to reducing crashes or their severity.
When buying a car
Price is usually the purchase argument most valued by drivers, but safety has also been an important value that buyers take into account. Even so, the study by Bosch and Fesvial reveals that the equipment of ADAS systems in vehicles is considered a secondary value, with little weight. The main reason is that they are not highlighted by salespeople at dealerships as an important argument in explaining the advantages of the vehicle.
For the road safety experts at Bosch and Fesvial, “the ADAS should be the most important arguments of a vehicle for its efficiency and improvement in safety”. Despite this, the amount of information related to the ADAS provided by the seller is considerable and this is provided, in most cases, before the closing of the sale of the vehicle and not so much at the time of delivery.
What if a repair affects an ADAS?
It is another of the questions that the study puts on the table. The result is that 35% of the surveyed population is unaware of the need to recalibrate sensors and cameras after an accident or windshield replacement to ensure that everything works as originally and that the systems do not process erroneous information and make decisions. that may be dangerous both for the occupants of the vehicle and for other road users. In this link I explain ten functions of the windshield that you may not know.
In this link you can read an extensive report on how ADAS systems help driving and a list of the most frequent ADAS.
