Driver assistance systems: ADAS or goblins?

You're driving and suddenly, there's such an unexpected and sudden braking that a taxi almost slams into your rear. A little later, and also for no apparent reason, what we're faced with is a swerve (with or without another swerve) because 'someone' thought we were leaving our lane and were about to hit the median strip. Well, that same someone keeps reminding us, and it can be annoying, that we've crossed the line marking the lane; or that we're going faster than the legal limit. Again and again and again...

The driver isn't a novice who's just passed his or her license, nor are we driving with one of those people constantly correcting what others are doing. The car does everything, and these are real-life cases that anyone who drives a modern automobile will have experienced firsthand. The "blame" lies with the so-called ADAS, an acronym for advanced driver assistance systems. These are devices that intervene in the vehicle—aiding or replacing the driver—to improve our safety and prevent accidents.

path to the autonomous car

For example, adaptive cruise control , which allows you to set a speed and distance from the car in front, a system that warns you not to change lanes because there's another vehicle in the blind spot, or one that detects when you've been driving too long or are showing dangerous signs of fatigue, all fall into this category.

We've mentioned three, but we're already on the way to nearly 30 such devices that, in their final stages, will lead to fully autonomous cars. Currently, the highest level available for a commercial vehicle is 3 of the six (zero is for cars with no automatic control) established by the Society of Automotive Engineers. This is where the vehicle can drive itself in specific environments—on a highway or motorway—but requires the driver to be present to take over if necessary.

The implementation of ADAS responds to overwhelming logic. If 90% of traffic accidents are due to human error, the quickest way to reduce them is to eliminate those errors from the equation. Especially those caused by distractions, which, according to DGT data, are now the leading cause of accidents (more than 30% of the total), ahead of excessive speed and alcohol or drug use.

Required by law

Their importance is such that, from July 2024, all new cars sold in Europe must by law include six of these features, such as the aforementioned fatigue detector, emergency braking, or the rear traffic alert that prevents us from reversing if another vehicle is coming.

The measure, which was introduced in all newly approved vehicles two years earlier, could prevent 25,000 deaths and 140,000 serious injuries by 2040. " We can achieve the same results as when the seat belt was introduced," stated the EU, the driving force behind the measure, when it was announced. For this reason, they are also increasingly valued in crash tests conducted by Euro NCAP , and are also beginning to be installed on motorcycles, where they are called ARAS.

Cars that are too old

The problem, in Spain, is that many vehicles in circulation don't qualify for any of these benefits because they are too old. The average age of passenger cars is now 14.5 years (and almost 28% are over 20), while motorcycles are over 17 years old.

And there are other drawbacks as well, as revealed by a study presented this week by the CEA Foundation and Asitur, which provides assistance and claims management services for insurance companies.

Intrusive alerts

Based on a survey of 1,109 drivers, it reveals that almost half did not know how ADAS work; only one in seven considered them when purchasing their vehicle, with cost being the main reason for not ordering them, although they are valued much more when used. And one in two users believes the alerts they issue are excessive, leading to stress, rejection, or fatigue. These conclusions support the results of previous studies.

Car manufacturers themselves are aware that these aids can be too intrusive, and therefore allow them to be temporarily disabled. However, by default, they reactivate when we restart the car.

Deactivate them

"It may seem contradictory, but it's necessary today, as some ADAS are cumbersome and imprecise. It's becoming clear that the technology isn't perfect yet. Construction zones, poorly painted road markings, or temporary detours would require continuous alerts. These can also be activated on narrow streets or at roundabouts, with unexpected interventions for the user," says Octavio Ortega, a trainer and expert in road safety and mobility.

Proof that the system needs to continue fine-tuning is precisely the delay in the arrival of fully autonomous vehicles. And Ortega, who highlights lane-keeping and intelligent speed assist as two of the most annoying ADAS, warns of the danger of requiring their operation at all times. "It could lead the driver to seek complete disengagement or even illegally reconfigure the vehicle," in the same way that control units are reprogrammed to increase power.

Cybersecurity

In this sense, the expert hopes this will reinforce the need for " cybersecurity regulations to be complied with so that systems cannot be manipulated." Last year, Brussels introduced two regulations along these lines: one to make vehicle design, production, and maintenance cyber-secure; and another to protect remote electronic updates, which are already common and allow for the modification of increasingly dynamic elements.

As a final note, Ortega warns that ADAS can foster false confidence in the technology. "Just remember the accidents Tesla has had with its self-driving version when its drivers were watching a movie or were simply asleep."

tips

Based on the survey results, the CEA Foundation and Aitur have made several recommendations. For example, driving license tests should take these systems into account, which would also require driving schools to train students using simulators. They also call for subsidies for their installation and for manufacturers to set a minimum standard package for all cars they sell. For reference, the package that became mandatory last year cost customers "between €400 and €1,000 for smaller models, as they were included in higher-end models."

It's also important for dealerships to train their salespeople on these systems and explain how they work to their customers.

Repair ADAS

Along these lines —training license applicants and users—is Ramón Ledesma, partner at the consulting firm Impulso by PONS. “Buying a vehicle is like buying a mobile phone: its capabilities and functions overwhelm us. In the end, we use it only for what we think we bought it for: driving or communicating. It's estimated that we only use between 10% and 30% of a phone's true capabilities. Something very similar happens with vehicles, except that, in this case, there are direct implications for our safety.”

Meanwhile, RACE (Spanish National Automobile Association) recalls its participation, along with 11 other automobile clubs, in Hi-Drive, the largest research project on automated driving in Europe , which also seeks to raise awareness among users. RACE also conducted fieldwork on these systems, which proved more positive, concluding that 74% of drivers are familiar with some driver assistance systems, although they are unaware of which ones are required by law.

Well, take note of one last piece of advice. Calibrating ADAS is one of the final tasks performed on a vehicle before it leaves the factory. Therefore, the same must be done if it's involved in an accident and sensors or cameras are damaged. This also applies when we need to replace the front windshield. It's best to have it done by specialists if you don't want to turn your vehicle into a party.