Technology in many of today’s vehicles could prevent an estimated 37 million crashes, 14 million … [+]
Technology in many of today’s vehicles can work as eyes and ears to assist drivers, using sensors and cameras to detect potential hazards, warn drivers and take corrective action automatically. This safety technology, known as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), could prevent an estimated 37 million crashes, 14 million injuries, and nearly 250,000 deaths over the next 30 years.
That’s about 16% of crashes and injuries and 22% of deaths that would not occur on U.S. roads without these systems.
Those are the main results of new research released on Thursday by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a nonprofit research and education association, that forecasted the lifesaving potential of diving assistance technology.
“The findings from this latest study on the AAA Foundation’s work in emerging technologies suggest that ADAS have the potential to transform road safety,” David Yang, president and executive director of the AAA Foundation, said in a statement.
The future safety benefits of ADAS depend on many factors, including how much consumers adopt and use systems, and further development of these technologies. But while ADAS may save many lives in coming years, many others will be lost on our roads if current trends continue, according to the report, “Examining the Safety Benefits of Partial Vehicle Automation Technologies in an Uncertain Future.”
ADAS works to form a vehicle’s “safety net,” unlike full automation, which is not yet commercially available,
The study found that its safety benefits vary depending on the type of system and how it is used. Last year, for example, AAA engineers found that automatic emergency braking systems, which detect potential collisions with a vehicle (some also detect pedestrians or other objects) ahead and provide forward collision warning and automatically brake to avoid a collision or lessen the severity of impact of rear-end crashes, were less effective when encountering bicyclists or vehicles crossing paths.
According to previous foundation research that assessed adaptive cruise control, a technology that assists with acceleration and braking to maintain a driver-selected gap to the vehicle in front, drivers may initially lack the appropriate knowledge to use it properly, leading to misuse or mistrust, especially in situations beyond the system’s capability.
Drivers can potentially understand and use the tech more effectively, researchers said, with more time and better exposure.
The safety group detailed several other common advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)::
- Forward Collision Warning detects a potential collision with a vehicle ( some systems also provide alerts for pedestrians or other objects) ahead and alerts the driver.
- Lane Departure Warning monitors vehicle’s position within the driving lane and alerts the driver when the vehicle is approaching or crossing lane markers.
- Lane Keeping Assistance provides steering support to assist the driver in keeping the vehicle in the lane when the vehicle approaches or crosses a lane line or road edge.
- Blind Spot Monitoring detects vehicles in the blind spot while driving and notifies the driver of their presence. Some systems provide an additional warning if the driver activates the turn signal.
“The future for ADAS is bright, but it’s not a cure-all,” Jake Nelson, the AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy, said in a statement. “While these technologies offer substantial safety benefits, we cannot engineer our way out of traffic injuries and deaths on U.S. roads. Investments in a diversity of proven traffic safety measures, including but not limited to vehicle technology, is in order.”
The safety group urges automakers to adopt a standard naming convention for vehicle technology to help drivers better understand the capabilities of “catchy, marketing-driven branded names” for some popular systems.
Researchers said the group’s work reinforces the importance of the Vision Zero or Safe System approach to road safety and design that takes human error into account, first put into effect in Sweden in the 1990s.
The goal of the initiative is to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by creating multiple layers of protection, so if one fails, the others will create a safety net to lessen the impact of a crash. Improvements are designed to result in: safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds and better post-crash care.
“The full safety benefits of ADAS will not be realized unless they are fully understood by the consumer, used properly, and widely adopted,” Dr. Yang added.
To learn more about the research and to access the full report, click here.