Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is the term given to intelligent technology added to vehicles to help assist motorists with their driving. It is believed that ADAS could be transformative to road safety whilst we await fully automated, driverless vehicles.
ADAS can range from relatively simple features such as rear-view parking cameras or adaptive high beams, to much more advanced technology such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warnings.
Some of the more common ADAS technology includes:
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Allows the brakes to be automatically applied should the technology detect the danger of a front-end crash with another vehicle or pedestrian. Insurers cite this as having the potential to have a significant impact on road safety.
Forward-Collision Warning (FCW): Like AEB, but in this case the technology alerts the driver to brake when it recognises the vehicle getting too close to another vehicle
Lane-Departure Warning (LDW): Alerts the driver if they are drifting out of their driving lane into an adjoining lane
Blind Spot Detection (BSD): Sensors monitor the side of a vehicle for vehicles approaching in blind spots and will provide the driver with an alert, either visual or audible
Electronic Stability Control (ESC): Brakes can be applied to individual wheels if the vehicle turns suddenly so that the driver doesn’t lose control
Advanced Cruise Control (ACC): An advance to cruise control, the vehicle tracks other vehicles on the road and can adjust the speed accordingly, rather than simply holding the car at a steady speed
Whilst it is clear to see how this technology could be of significant benefit to all road users, given that the advances are still relatively recent there is work to be done around raising awareness. Consumers aren’t necessarily choosing to add these features to new vehicles that they are buying, the extra costs may be an inhibiting factor, or they may not be getting enough information at point of purchase. Likewise, manufacturers may not currently be able to provide insurers with sufficient information for them to determine which vehicles have ADAS features fitted and therefore confidently use ADAS features as a rating factor.
However, with one estimate suggesting that as many as 40% of vehicles sold in Europe will be fitted with more than 1 ADAS feature by 2020, this picture is only likely to be an improving one as awareness and understanding of the benefits improve. So, if you are looking to update the vehicles in your fleet, it’s key to make the right vehicle choices as businesses who invest in vehicles with modern safety measures may find this a way to differentiate themselves when it comes to the insurance market.
Here at Anthony Jones, our team of experts work hard to understand your needs and find the right insurance for you.
