and robotics technologies continuously improve, car companies are finding
new ways to broker a truce between the two. Despite the fact that new
cars are beginning to feature advanced technologies for preventing
car accidents, most people may not be maximizing the benefits of these systems.According to a study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA study), many people with cars possessing advanced safety capabilities do not know how to properly use these systems and or are unaware about the limitations of such systems. This blog explains how and when to use your car’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to optimize
your driving safety.
What Types of ADAS Are Available?
New cars come equipped with ADAS technologies with the potential to improve
the driver’s accident awareness and response capabilities.
The following ADAS technologies can be found in car models manufactured
for release in 2016 and 2017:
- Forward collision warning (FCW): This alerts the driver to when there is an imminent danger of collision.
- Blind-spot warning (BSW): This informs the driver when a car is in the vehicle’s blind spot.
- Lane departure warning (LDW): This warns the driver when the vehicle is drifting out of a traffic lane.
- Rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA): This detects cars that are crossing the vehicle’s path while reversing.
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB): This system relies on sensors to track cars leading the vehicle and automatically
engages the brakes to avoid an impending collision. - Lane keeping assist (LKA): This automatically steers the car to avoid drifting out of a traffic lane.
- Adaptive cruise control (ACC): Like conventional cruise control, this system automatically maintains a
driver-set speed. However, when the car approaches a slower vehicle, the
system will automatically slow the car down to match the leading car’s
speed. When the system sense that a there is no longer a slower car leading
it, the system accelerates the car back to the set cruising speed.
How Can You Get the Most Out of ADAS?
Drivers should always read the car’s owner’s manual to understand
the capabilities and limitations of each of its ADAS features. Some features
may differ slightly depending on the make and model year of the car.
Know the limitations. Most ADAS features rely on sensor technology to function. However, just
like a human’s eyes, these sensors are limited in range. For example,
RCTA systems detect traffic that crosses perpendicularly to the car’s
path when reversing. But when the vehicle is parked at an angle to the
path of approaching traffic, the RCTA system is rendered practically ineffective.
Additionally, weather conditions can interfere with sensors and severely
impair their functionality. Fog, snow, and ice, can completely obstruct
sensors. Furthermore, wet or icy roads increase a car’s stopping
distance, potentially causing an FCW system to alert the driver about
an impending collision too late to avoid a crash.
Don’t Replace Good Habits. ADAS systems are supposed to support existing safe driving practices by
augmenting the driver’s perception and reaction time – they
not a good reason to shed those practices from your personal driving behavior.
For example, the AAA study showed that 29% of survey respondents admitted
to being comfortable doing other activities while using an ACC system.
Additionally, 30% of respondents with cars featuring BSW technology reported
that they would change lanes without checking their blind spot, and 25%
of owners with RCTA systems admitted to sometimes reversing without looking
over their shoulder.
Consult Our Skilled Brooklyn Car Accident Lawyers for Advice
When people overestimate technology’s capacity to outperform the
ordinary person regarding necessary tasks we take for granted as an inconvenient
practice, the results can be devastating. If you’ve been injured
in a car accident due to the negligence of another person, you should
find an experienced car accident attorney in Brooklyn to protect your
rights. At Koenigsberg & Associates Law Offices, we have experience litigating personal injury matters such as car accident claims. We tenaciously advocate for our clients’ interests in obtaining a legal remedy for their injuries to which they are entitled under the law.
Call us anytime at (718) 690-3132 or contact us online for a free case evaluation today.
