Aug 2018
IIHS Study Proves Advanced Safety Tech Still Requires the Human Hand
Advanced safety features are being added as standard options on many vehicles, and as available options on almost all new vehicles. Some of the more common ones include adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep assist. And while these systems can be beneficial, it’s not as simple as just sitting back and letting the vehicle take full control.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently put some of these features to the test, and their findings revealed that these systems have some room for improvement. IIHS tested some of the better rated systems, which included Tesla Model S and 3, the BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, and the Volvo S90.
An example of these issues can be seen when looking at a road test with the 5-Series. In regards to the lane-keep assist test, “The 5-series steered toward or across the lane line regularly, requiring drivers to override the steering support to get it back on track. Sometimes the car disengaged steering assistance on its own. The car failed to stay in the lane on all 14 valid trials.”
It was also found that slow moving vehicles can impact how the lane-keep assist operates.
“When a car is traveling too slow to track lane lines, active lane-keeping systems use the vehicle in front as a guide. If the lead vehicle exits, the trailing car might, too.”
While these safety features do provide an overall benefit to the driver and others on the road, it’s important to also realize that you must remain alert and in control when using these features.
A link to the full article on the IIHS website is below:
