A report, 'Vehicle safety systems and the future of driving', has been published by AXA UK and the road safety charity Brake, the underlying research to which focussed on various safety features which have been mandatory for all new vehicles in Europe since July 2022, including automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and intelligent speed assistance.
The report reveals that despite 46% of drivers saying that safety features are a priority when purchasing a new car, 41% of all drivers (47% of male drivers and 35% of female drivers) have turned off at least one of the safety features in their vehicles. The most common reason for doing so is that they have found the features annoying.
While on one level turning off a safety systems, particularly one with an annoying and repetitive alarm, could, at a superficial level, be understandable, to do so could have serious implications and there are several matters that need to be borne in mind.
- Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are safety features and are installed for a reason. They are there to assist drivers and to increase safety of road users in general;
- It should be a matter of concern to all that systems designed to increase safety are being switched off;
- There is a clear and pressing need for drivers to be educated as to the importance of full usage of and engagement with ADAS features that are available to them, as well as the risks of disabling them; and
- Insurers need to be aware when ADAS features are disengaged as this potentially impacts on issues of risk and on the pricing and cost of insurance to consumers.
As ADAS features continue to increase in availability and complexity, this worrying trend of them being disabled by the drivers that they are intended to assist will only become a greater concern. It is an issue that needs to be taken seriously by all: the implications are potentially far reaching.
