Cool gadgets in your car might be a danger to you if you don’t understand how to navigate them.
More drivers are using advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) available in today’s vehicles, but many motorists do not understand how to safely use these new, mostly automated technologies, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. AAA Arizona’s Michelle Donati is sharing some important tips with Danielle Williams on Arizona Daily Mix.
Important Driving Tech Tips:
- More drivers are using advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) available in today’s vehicles, but many do not understand how to safely use these mostly automated technologies.
- Blind spot monitoring: 80 percent of drivers did not know the technology’s limitations. And 1 in 4 reported 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-
- Here’s the problem: If a driver does’t understand how their technology functions, they might rely on that system to detect safety issues that the technology wasn’t designed to find.
- When properly utilized, AAA estimates that these technologies have the potential to prevent 40 percent of all vehicle crashes and nearly 30 percent of traffic deaths. However, driver understanding and proper use is crucial in reaping the full safety benefits of these systems.
- 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.
- AAA is sharing this new research with vehicle manufacturers and other stakeholders to help establish effective education tools that will benefit car buyers. If strong consumer education about vehicle technology was as much a priority as making the sale, we would all reap the benefits.
- AAA encourages drivers to understand their technology’s features, functions and limitations before leaving the lot:
- Read your owner’s manual to learn what systems are installed in your vehicle.
- Be an informed buyer: Ask plenty of questions about the alerts, functions, capabilities and limitations of the vehicle’s safety technologies before leaving the dealership. Insist on an in-vehicle demonstration and test drive to better understand how the systems will engage on the roadway.
What’s the most important gadget in your car that you feel actually keeps you safe on the road? Join the conversation!