If you have had any exposure to vehicle advertising in the last two years, you have likely seen demonstrations of impressive advances in vehicle monitoring and driver warnings and aids.  Lane departure alarms, automatic braking, and blind spot monitoring all promise to reduce the chance that you will be involved in a collision.

However, recent research conducted by AAA has revealed that many vehicle owners have a limited understanding of the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) included with their vehicles, but that such a limited understanding does not prevent them from relying heavily on those systems.  Eighty percent of drivers of vehicles with blind spot monitoring systems did not understand that those systems were limited in their ability to detect pedestrians and cyclists.  Forty percent of drivers of vehicles equipped with either forward collision avoidance or automatic braking systems did not understand the limitations of the systems and perhaps more alarmingly, confused the two and mistakenly believed that forward collision avoidance would stop the car.

“This research shows that drivers today have vehicles with systems that, if properly relied on, could drastically reduce vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths,” said Peter G. Billings, a New Haven Car Accident Attorney with the law firm of Billings, Barrett & Bowman, LLC.  “However, drivers have failed to educate themselves on the limitations of those systems, thereby exposing themselves and others to the possibility of even more danger.”

Drivers owe a duty of care to others with whom they share the road; not just other drivers, but cyclists and pedestrians as well.  Relying on these advanced driver assistance systems without completely knowing how they work or what their limitations are, and choosing to not use the same level of care and caution in operating their vehicle that they would without those systems breaches that duty.  This puts others in danger and exposes the driver to claims of negligence in the event of an accident.

In order to ensure that the systems with which your vehicle is equipped provide the most assistance without compromising your driving practices, do the following:

1) Never rely solely on an automated system.  Automated technology has come a long way and will undoubtedly continue to develop, but no currently-available production system completely replaces the judgment and ability of the driver.  Deferring to an automated system puts you and others in jeopardy and greatly increases the likelihood of an accident.

2) Educate yourself on the systems in your vehicle.  It may seem obvious, but fully understanding the aids with which your car is equipped will allow those systems to provide the full benefit for which they were designed.  Knowing what a particular system can and cannot do will keep you from relying on it in a manner for which it was not intended, and possibly save you and others from injury.

3) Only use automated systems to support your situational awareness, not to supplant it. Every driver on the road is responsible for knowing what is going on with their vehicle, what is going on around them, and to look out for others.  Being of aware of your situation at all times while operating a vehicle is critical to avoiding accidents. Advanced driver assistance systems can provide a driver a more fully developed situational awareness, but it cannot replace it.

Overall, drivers should avoid being lulled into a false sense of safety when it comes to these systems.  Use them to assist you in being a safer driver and making those on the road with you safer as well. Using them as a way to avoid the responsibility of being a fully engaged and careful driver is a recipe for a lawsuit.