The results of a study published by Desjardins Insurance show that almost half of Canadian drivers have second thoughts about the usefulness of safety systems such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warnings, and so on.
The survey, conducted by Ad Hoc Research for Desjardins, found that while 51% of the 3,050 respondents said that these safety features are needed to make roads safer, 48% of drivers think that vehicle safety technologies pose a risk to road safety. Nearly half of the drivers (46%) also believe that Canadian drivers are over-reliant on vehicle safety technologies.
Most of the drivers (80%) said that there should be more education on how to use safety features in vehicles.
“While studies clearly show that crash avoidance and other safety systems in newer cars are reducing collisions and saving lives, the survey’s findings are enough to give us pause,” said Desjardins Insurance vice-president of marketing and member client experience Alain Hade. “They are an important reminder that no matter how sophisticated the safety systems, the driver’s vigilance and attention are essential to ensure safe driving, both for the people in the vehicle and those who share the road with motorists.”
“It’s important that driver knowledge of safety features and confidence in them is on the rise, particularly as they are exposed to features that are increasingly standard on new vehicles,” added Traffic Injury Research Foundation president and CEO Robyn Robertson.
Autonomous vehicle technology was also tackled by the survey, which found that less than a third (28%) of participants said that they would trust being driven in a fully autonomous vehicle.
“These results lead us to believe that people experienced with the technology have confidence in vehicle safety systems, but not blindly,” Hade observed.
Hade concluded that drivers need to be well-informed about the car they are driving. This means understanding the vehicle’s features and technology – in both what they can and cannot do.
“Safety technologies are important to prevent injuries and fatalities, but they also have limitations,” the vice-president commented.
