New research has found the majority of Australian drivers are not yet ready to fully utilize technologies such as adaptive cruise control, brake assist and in-car park assist, despite owning vehicles equipped with such features.
A study by an Australian service and research company mycar have found that although 76 per cent of drivers own cars with some form of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), only around 30 per cent of Australians have used adaptive cruise control or lane assist in their most-used vehicle.
In addition, only 28 percent of respondents said they used brake assist and only 22 percent used parking assistance.
Tom Hatch, head of technical transformation at mycar, says: “The trust gap is not about skills, but about trust and understanding.”
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“Features like adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning are intended to make driving safer and less stressful, but only about a third of drivers use them regularly,” he said Daily Sparkz.
“These technologies can reduce the risk of collisions, reduce fatigue and improve efficiency, but uncertainty about how they work – and whether they can be trusted – is holding drivers back.”
The research comes at a time when driver assistance systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as evidenced by Tesla’s recent launch of its fully autonomous driving (monitored) System in Australia and New Zealand.
Although this feature is currently limited to one brand and costs more than $10,000 to activate, it is likely that more brands will develop their own systems in the coming years, making the technology more accessible.
But for now, Australian drivers have expressed their reluctance. Only 19 percent of mycar respondents said they would use a fully autonomous vehicle for “most or all of their trips,” even if the technology were legal and readily available.
Additionally, 40 percent of respondents say they would not feel comfortable giving self-driving vehicles complete control.
“Education is the missing link,” Mr. Hatch said Daily Sparkz. “Drivers need clear, easily accessible information about how these systems work in real-world conditions. That means going beyond the owner’s manual and making driver training an ongoing process.”
Mr Hatch referred to the ADAS Guidance Service, which was launched by Australasian transport association Austroads earlier this year. According to the association, this service is intended to “help drivers, assessors, licensing authorities and the broader community better understand and safely use ADAS.”
This is achieved through numerous fact sheets and explanatory videos that are intended to provide “simple, consistent explanations of ADAS functions”. A full suite of educational “ADAS Assist” tools is available here.
“By providing independent, practical guidance on how these systems work, initiatives like this help bridge the gap between innovation and adoption,” Mr Hatch said Daily Sparkz.
“This type of support allows drivers to use the latest technology correctly and safely.”
mycar’s research follows a recent study by car insurer AAMI that shows Australian drivers are turning off safety warning systems they consider to be “too sensitive”, while studies conducted in the Netherlands have found that using adaptive cruise control could increase the chances of a car accident.
Stay tuned to Daily Sparkz for an exclusive Q&A with mycar CEO Sylvain Borré, going live on November 8th.
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