We love old and classic cars. But if we had to name just one area where all new cars are better, it’s safety. With all the safety systems and electronic assistance currently available in the automotive industry – in addition to stronger body construction, better brakes and smarter energy-absorbing zones – modern vehicles are much safer than their 1980s, 1990s models. , and even the 2000s . But only if you know what those systems do and how to use them, and it turns out that many drivers don’t.
Consumer reports are concerned about the level of confusion these new safety systems are causing for many drivers and have new studies showing that drivers are often unfamiliar with how and when the modern safety systems in their cars work. In many cases, this confusion can lead to drivers actually disabling certain technologies and essentially missing out on some of their vehicle’s core safety functions. The agency has also published detailed guidelines suggesting ways to make these safety systems easier for owners to use.
“The steering wheel became cluttered with unrecognizable symbols for operating ADAS [advanced driver assistance systems] features, which drivers somehow have to differentiate and understand while they are on the road,” Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports senior director of automated testing, explains. “But if they shut down the system, that completely defeats their purpose – and then nobody on the street is benefiting from them.”
So what CRthe solution? This new guide is being shared with automakers, policy makers and car safety organizations and aims to shed more light on how these systems can be made easier to use and understand for drivers. Increased levels of “understanding, acceptance and satisfaction” will allow a higher proportion of drivers to actually use them and benefit from the safety they are supposed to provide. Just having a certain system and keeping it disabled in the background doesn’t mean you’re actually being helped by that system.
Consumer reports‘ The report and guidance are based on responses from more than 35,000 vehicle owners and data gathered from the 2021 ADAS survey. This information has been used to learn more about understanding and satisfaction levels, as well as how often drivers actually use the system. Full details on the new survey and guide can be found at the source link below.
