Advanced driver assistance systems are becoming more and more common. Assistance systems, which help the driver at many points and prevent various accidents, still need human support. These systems have a particularly difficult time reacting to the dangers posed by other vehicles.
American Automobile Association (AAA) tested vehicles of Tesla, Hyundai and Subaru brands with Level 2 semi-autonomous driving systems. Tests on pedestrianized roads measured how these systems react to vehicles that comply and do not comply with the rules.
Driver assistance systems are helpless against oncoming vehicles!
The first part of the tests against two different test groups proved to be quite promising. All cars that took the test against the vehicles slowing down in their lane braked to avoid the collision. However, the systems were not so successful in situations that AAA described as ‘extreme scenarios’.
Tests reveal that the systems are helpless against vehicles that overflow and enter the opposite lane. Unfortunately, a head-on collision could not be avoided in 15 tests. It is stated that the situation is not very bright in the tests involving bicycles.
While ADAS systems were successful against cyclists moving in their own lane, they could not achieve the same success with cyclists trying to cross the street. While crashes occurred in 33 percent of these tests, the safety of the systems against cyclists began to be questioned.
AAA’s director of automotive engineering said:
It is courageous for these driving systems to successfully detect slow-moving cars and cyclists in the same lane. While alarming, their inability to detect a cyclist crossing or an oncoming vehicle is worrying. Head-on collisions are the deadliest of accidents, and these systems should be optimized for situations where they can be most helpful.
AAA states that these systems are only there to assist drivers, that drivers should always focus on the road to avoid accidents. Previous tests by the AAA had revealed that ADAS systems also had problems in other areas, such as keeping track of lane on the roads.
A survey by AAA also reveals that people do not yet fully trust their driver systems. 77 percent of the respondents stated that they are more interested in improving the existing safety systems rather than the development of autonomous vehicles.
So what do you think about advanced driving assistance systems? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.
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