We’ve blogged several times recently about advances in driver assistance technology and the ambitions and progress towards fully automated vehicles. We are still a long way off having fully automated vehicles on our roads, however it seems that there may be some confusion when it comes to how automated some of the vehicles on our roads really are.
A report for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) suggests manufacturers may need to exercise caution over the naming of some of the more advanced driver systems currently being introduced to cars. Names such as ‘Autopilot’ or ‘Propilot’ may lead drivers to believe their cars can drive themselves in all situations when in reality assisted driver systems rely on the driver to maintain responsibility for the safe driving of the vehicle.
Thatcham, who conducted research alongside the ABI, wants there to be more clarity around these technological advances – either they are assisted, requiring input from the driver or they are autonomous and require no input from the driver.
The report from Thatcham aims to confirm the definitions around assisted driving systems and automated vehicles so if you are looking to invest in a vehicle with some of these more advanced technologies it may be worth a read to provide some added clarity about how much input is required from yourself in order to ensure you remain safe on the roads.
Here at Anthony Jones our team of experts aim to stay on top of the latest developments in driver assisted and automated technology in order to understand how this impacts the commercial motor and fleet insurance market. Give us a call today on 020 8290 9099 to discuss your requirements
