The US Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) has called on vehicle manufacturers to push forward with the deployment of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). In a recent report,Big Strides, the IIHS says carmakers should focus on offering systems that detect pedestrians and predict if they are going to walk in front of a vehicle.“Drivers who hit pedestrians crossing the roadway apparently never react to what’s in front of them,” says the IIHS report. Only 13% of drivers have time to react and brake when a pedestrian steps in front of them. According to the research organisation funded by US insurers, the trick is developing technology that can accurately predict when someone if going to step into the path of a vehicle.

“Too many false alarms could turn a warning system into an annoyance and make drivers reluctant to accept the new technology,” warns David Zuby, chief researcher at the IIHS.“False alarms are not currently a major concern for drivers of cars fitted with ADAS,” says Stephen Longden, ITS and telematics specialist at SBD. “Our recent consumer survey of drivers in Germany and  USA that own cars with active safety systems shows that they are content with how the systems perform,” he adds. This survey covering drivers of cars fitted with ADAS such as collision warning/avoidance, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control also shows that once drivers have experienced ADAS, they want to buy it in their next car.

SBD’s new market trends report, Kickstarting the mass market for ADAS, reveals that uptake of ADAS is being encouraged by governments in Europe and the USA, in addition to research organisations such as the IIHS. There is currently a convergence of factors combining to support uptake of ADAS. These factors include the inclusion of ADAS in new car star rating processes by Euro NCAP and the US NHTSA, increasing availability in mass market models such as the Ford Focus and the expected arrival of legislation that will mandate active safety systems in new models. To learn more about the Survey of consumer attitudes towards ADAS systems in Germany and USA or Kickstarting the mass market for ADAS please contact Kavitha Kuppuswamy at kkuppuswamy@sbd.co.uk