Page 13 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2022

Active-Driving Assistance Systems Not Fool-Proof
AAA automotive researchers found that throughout 4,000 miles of real-world driving, vehicles equipped with active-driving assistance systems, which combine adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance, experienced some type of issue every 8 miles, on average.
Researchers noted instances of trouble with the systems keeping the vehicles tested in their lane and coming too close to other vehicles or guardrails. They also found that these systems often disengage with little notice – almost instantly handing control back to the driver. This can be a dangerous scenario if a driver has become disengaged from the driving task or has become too dependent on the system.
“AAA has repeatedly found that active driving- assistance systems do not perform consistently, especially in real-word scenarios,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering and industry relations. “Manufacturers need to work toward
more dependable technology, including improving lane-keeping assistance and providing more adequate alerts.”
Vehicle Test Results:
AAA tested the functionality of active-driving assistance systems in real-world conditions and in a closed-course setting to determine how well they responded to common driving scenarios.
• On public roadways, nearly three-quarters (73%) of errors involved instances of lane departure or erratic lane position.
• AAA’s closed-course testing found that the systems performed mostly as expected, but were particularly challenged when approaching a simulated disabled vehicle. When encountering this test scenario, in
aggregate, a collision occurred 66% of the time and the average impact speed was 25 mph.
“Active-driving assistance systems are designed to assist the driver and help make the roads safer, but the fact is, these systems are in the early stages of their development,” added Brannon. “With the number of issues we experienced in testing, it is unclear how these systems enhance the driving experience in their current form. In the long run, a bad experience with current technology may set back public acceptance of more fully automated vehicles in the future.”
Lack of Consumer Trust:
AAA’s 2020 automated vehicle survey found that only one in 10 drivers (12%) would trust riding in a self-driving car. To increase consumer confidence in future automated vehicles, it is important that car manufacturers perfect functionality as much as possible – like active-driving assistance systems available now – before deployment
in a larger fleet of vehicles.
AAA has met with industry leaders to provide insight from the testing experience and recommendations
for improvement. The insights also are shared with AAA members and the public to inform their driving experiences and vehicle purchase decisions.
New vehicle owners should follow this PLAN:
Purpose — Learn the purpose of driving assistance technology by requesting hands-on training at the dealership, reading the vehicle’s owners manual and visiting the manufacturer’s website.
Limitations — Do not make any assumptions about what the technology can and cannot do. A driving assistance system should not be confused with a self-driving one.
Allow time for practice — Allow time for safe on-road practice so drivers know exactly how this technology works in real driving situations.
Never rely on it — Do not rely on this technology; instead, act as if the vehicle does not have
it with the driver always prepared to retake control if needed.
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