In a survey of 1,000 drivers on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Auto Windscreens found nearly 40% of respondents either hadn’t heard of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or were ‘not sure’ if they had. This is despite nearly 10m UK cars now featuring ADAS Level 2 technologies, which allow driving to be partially automated.
The results also revealed 12% of people didn’t know if they had ADAS features in their car. For those who said they did have ADAS features, 17% admitted they were either ‘not very confident’ or ‘not confident at all’ that they understand how their car’s safety systems work.
James MacBeth, Managing Director of Auto Windscreens commented: “We always knew there was a lack of understanding among drivers about ADAS systems, but our survey highlights the scale of the issue. Based on industry figures** and if we take the findings from our survey, this means an estimated 1.2m UK drivers could have ADAS in their cars without knowing it’s there, which is very concerning.”
The company’s survey results follow the recent announcement by the Government that it plans to mandate 18 safety technologies in new cars in the UK.
James added: “These are systems which many of us rely on every day, and it’s imperative they are kept in good working order. They require calibration by a qualified technician in controlled conditions following a windscreen replacement, wheel alignment, suspension and steering work and some body repairs. They also rely on cameras and radars – it’s a little-known fact that if a radar is misaligned by 2 degrees, this can equate to more than 8 metres difference at its full potential reach on the road.”
The survey asked drivers when they thought calibration should be undertaken. The top answer (39%) was ‘as part of an MOT’. Auto Windscreens shared its survey findings at the IMI’s recent Future of MOT Testing Roundtable.
James concluded: “These systems need to be properly used and understood by drivers and calibrated correctly by qualified professionals. It’s our responsibility in the motor industry to help educate and inform drivers about these systems to keep us all safe on our roads.”