BOISE, Idaho — New research by AAA Idaho shows that exposure alone is not sufficient in understanding and learning system limitations on new driving assistance technology.
As driving assistance technology becomes more widely available in newer vehicles, AAA warns that knowledge gaps can lead to dangerous assumptions about how the system will perform.
According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers who received a brief, but comprehensive training session significantly outperformed those who were left to learn about the technology on their own.
AAA researched driver's understanding of adaptive cruise control (ACC), a system that assists in acceleration and braking, while maintaining a driver-selected gap with the car in front, in the first six months of new vehicle ownership.
During a simulated drive at the end of the study, individuals who learned by experience alone were more likely to wait for the system to act outside of its intended use, which resulted in a delayed reaction time that could potentially put others' lives at risk.
"Self-taught drivers were also more likely to mistakenly believe that the ACC technology would react appropriately to stationary objects like construction cones, assist with steering to keep the vehicle in its lane, and consistently operate in all weather conditions," AAA Idaho public affairs director, Matthew Conde, said. "Better training can help set realistic expectations, and in turn, prevent overreliance on a system that is specifically designed to assist an engaged human driver."
One group that was particularly concerning was the over-confident drivers that failed to grasp ACC but were self-assured in their knowledge. AAA urges vehicle manufacturers to communicate more clearly about the limitations of driver assistance systems and convey that information in a variety of ways to address different learning styles.
"A lot can happen at freeway speeds, and we don't want drivers to learn the hard way that with new technology, 'self-taught' isn't always the best way to go," Conde said.
AAA recommends the acronym PLAN, when it comes to advanced vehicle systems:
- Understand the purpose of the technology through hands-on training at the dealership
- Understand the limitations of the technology by avoiding assumptions of what it can and cannot do
- Allow time for practice to learn how the technology works under real driving conditions
- Never rely on it to the point where you aren't prepared to immediately take over
AAA Idaho is affiliated with AAA Oregon/Idaho, which provides 875,000 members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. More than 62 million motorists are served by AAA in North America.
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