Despite the many innovations in driver assistance technologies, many Québec drivers do not fully understand how such features work – some even choosing to turn off the safety features – a new study from Allstate Canada found.
Allstate timed the release of its new advisory with the start of vacation season in Québec, which typically sees many drivers take to the roads for a trip.
The survey – conducted by Léger on behalf of Allstate – found that out of 415 Québec respondents, only 35% claim to understand all the features available on their automobile. These features include rear-view cameras, vehicle proximity alerts, and other driver-assist functions. Another 16% said they do not fully comprehend such safety systems.
On a national level, the survey found that a startling 52% of the 1,529 Canadian respondents said they rarely or never rely on their car’s driver-assist features. Among those who answered such, 42% mentioned that they were distracted by the warnings, while 56% said they disabled at least one of the safety features.
When asked why Quebec drivers are disabling their drier assist features, 63% said they were annoyed by the systems, while 14% said they disabled them because they did not trust the features.
“Vehicles today are equipped with a host of tools to improve safety on the road, but still many people don’t fully understand how to use them, get distracted by them or turn them off, especially on Quebec roads where orange cones in construction zones can cause an overabundance of alarms and warnings,” said Allstate Canada agency manager for Montreal-East area Carmine Venditti.
Venditti added that being knowledgeable about these assistance technologies allow for a better understanding of their usefulness, and thus help drivers make safer decisions and avoid collisions.
