Challenges of Active Driving Assistance Systems

A Message from the Chairman & CEO
AAA Mid States

Each year, over 35,000 drivers lose their lives on U.S. roadways, most because of human error. Active driving assistance systems are meant to improve safety and convenience, but like all technologies, these systems are bound to fail occasionally. Since 2014, AAA has been evaluating the latest in automotive technologies to educate consumers on the benefits and limitations of vehicle safety systems as well as provide feedback to the automotive industry.

In a recent AAA automotive study, researchers found that over the course of 4,000 miles of real-world driving these systems experienced some type of issue every eight miles, on average. Nearly three-quarters of the errors were due to lane departure and erratic lane position. Researchers also noted these systems struggling to keep the test vehicle in its lane, coming too close to other vehicles or guardrails, and intermittently disengaging – often with little notice to the driver.

These systems were also tested in a closed-course setting and fared better than the real-world conditions. Results in the closed-course setting were mostly as expected, however, all test vehicles were challenged when approaching a simulated disabled vehicle with a collision occurring 66% of the time with an average speed of 25 mph, in aggregate. Overall, AAA has found that these systems work best in stop and go traffic.

AAA recommends manufacturers should do more simulations, closed-course, and on-road evaluations prior to rolling out to the mass market. These systems need to perform more consistently in order to improve the driver experience and overall reliability and safety.

Most importantly, our advice to drivers is to educate themselves on when, where, and how to use these vehicle safety systems before integrating them into their regular driving. Request a demonstration from the dealership and make sure to thoroughly read the vehicle owner’s manual and other important information provided online by the automaker.