A large percentage of drivers turn off the advanced safety features in their vehicles when possible, a recent study conducted by Erie Insurance indicates.
The auto insurance provider asked 500 U.S. licensed drivers ages 18 and older with vehicles made in 2016 and after if they intentionally turn off or disable advanced safety features such as lane keep assist or adaptive cruise control. It found that 30% of drivers turn off the adaptive speed function on their cruise control, while 23% turn off driver attention monitor and lane keep assist. Other features that are often switched off by motorists include lane departure warning (21%), automated emergency braking (17%) and traffic sign recognition (14%).
Survey participants said they turn off advanced safety features in their vehicles as they are “annoying” or “distracting.” Some features are also said to send too many false alarms, including forwarding collision warning and driver attention monitoring. There is one feature that barely anyone is turning off, however, and that’s the backup camera. Just 6% of motorists say they switch this feature off if possible, with those survey participants saying they “don’t trust” the technology.
Jon Bloom, who serves as the vice president of personal auto at Erie Insurance, believes more people will be inclined to leave advanced safety featured turned on once the technology is more refined.
“Ideally as features improve and drivers get more comfortable with them, using them will become second-nature the way seatbelts are today,” Bloom said. “The payoff could be huge in terms of reducing crashes and saving lives.”
Many are still very apprehensive about adaptive cruise control, however, which these days will often times be paired with a semi-autonomous lane-keep function. More than a third (35%) of survey respondents said they definitely would not purchase a car with adaptive cruise control. The percentage of drivers who didn’t want other advanced safety features, such as forward collision warning, were all in the single digits. This could be a bad sign for automakers wishing to release fully autonomous cars, such as General Motors and its Cruise subsidiary, as it shows many motorists still do not trust such technology.
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Comments
Some of it I understand but blind spot monitors and backup cameras are amazing.
Blind spot monitors require someone to still look at the mirrors and not be lazy. I almost got hit passing someone a few weeks ago who had blind spot detectors. I could see in his mirror that it had detected my car and he signaled no intentions of changing lanes.
Stuff at the rear and sides of the car I don’t turn off, however most of the forward stuff is off.
Driving a full size van with no windows most of my life I find all these features useless. Also, when you rely on technology that’s usually when it fails. The back up camera on my ‘18 express is fantastic for hooking up trailers however. Otherwise, I’m not even a fan of ABS brakes, too unpredictable. The amount of times I’ve slid through a stop sign because it tried keeping the vehicle straight. I’d rather skid and stop, while muscling the wheel at lease then I can put it where I want, and actually stop.
I LOVE the safety features on my SRX, I’ll admit I occasionally cross a line to get a little buzz on my butt, lol, but I did have a Toyota Highlander rental recently, and IDK why but the lane keep assist worked nicely when I was driving, but the second I turned on the cruise control, it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep the car in a straight line, it kept wanting to pull to either side.
I like all of my safety features. Even though lane departure is annoying on my Buick Lucerne I leave it on because that’s why I brought the vehicle. I could of gotten a base Lucerne that does not offer the features. Blind Spot Alert has saved me so many times!
Who ever came up with the seat vibrator in my 2016 Tahoe should have their head examined. It is so distracting and and random it is a nuisance. I would turn it off if possible .
Still driving my 2007 XLR with Head-up Display, Adaptive Cruise Control, (No lane keeping assist but would like to have it, I have Magnetic Ride, Heated and cooled seats and of course the,convertible,hardtop.There,is,nothing,like,it.–But,I’m,waiting…
I,would,not,consider,any,vehicle,without,adaptive,cruize,control.
Daniel
I like the blind spot monitoring and really like the backup camera. Unfortunately some cars are using blind spot and backup cameras as a license for designs with bad side and rear visibility. I’d rather have the cameras as an augmentation rather than a necessity.
I don’t have adaptive cruise or lane departure warning on any of my cars, but a friend does. After a couple of automated panic brakes for apparently imaginary obstacles and annoying beeps even when centered in the lane he said he routinely shuts the features off. I would too!
Here in the US, there was an initiative starting in the 1980s for instrumenting highways to make it easier for smart cars, but that seems to have evaporated. What will improve the situation is for the maturation of next generation GPS that allows real time navigational accuracy within several centimeters. Also car-to-car communication would help – but that would come with the potential for hacking and abuse.
I have 14 Impala with adaptive cruise, lane change warning, and other safety features too. It is an LTZ -2. I never turn my safety features off, they have saved me from too many mishaps by being on and working. This Impala is the best vehicle I’ve ever owned, and the best looking one also. I was so disappointed when GM announced the end of Impala. I’ve been told the Malibu was the reason GM dropped it.
If a owner want to turn off safe equipment its up to them. I still it should be available to any and all customers across the entire vehicle line.