Even though multiple cases have been reported, it is likely that ADAS is not the only culprit here
With growing consumer awareness about safety, a number of cars now offer ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). In mainstream segment, cars with ADAS include Mahindra XUV700, MG Astor, MG ZS EV, Honda City e:HEV and Hyundai Tucson.
While there’s ample data to validate the benefits of ADAS, it appears that local conditions and driving behaviour are creating barriers for this advanced safety system. Most of the cases involve Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), wherein the car was forced to come to an abrupt halt.
This had happened even when there was no real threat perceived by the driver. In a recent case, a Tucson owner has shared his experience, highlighting the potential pitfalls associated with AEB.
Hyundai Tucson ADAS Accident – AEB to blame?
According to the Tucson owner, AEB was triggered when another car travelling in an adjacent lane came too close to the Tucson. As a result, the brakes were applied with full force. Tucson came to a sudden halt, which in turn resulted in the trailing car hitting the Tucson from behind. All of this happened in a span of a few seconds, giving very little time to the driver to get a sense of what’s happening.
Hyundai Tucson has inbuilt systems that give audio and visual warning prior to engaging the AEB and other ADAS functions. However, this will be useful only when there’s some gap between the audio-visual warning and automatic application of brakes. In local conditions, rash driving is an everyday phenomenon. The scenario can change within seconds, which can be tough to handle for the driver. In this particular case, it is possible that the owner may not have got time to take evasive action.
Solutions to ADAS issues
It is apparent that there are multiple factors leading to such incidents. Apart from negligent driving and lack of proper road signs and lane markings, the issue could also be linked to the fact that only a small fraction of cars on the roads currently have ADAS. In Tucson’s case, the accident would not have happened if the car behind also had ADAS. Even the suspect car would not have come that close if it too had ADAS.
Till the time traffic conditions improve and ADAS becomes more commonplace, users have come up with solutions that can take care of ADAS-linked issues. Easiest way suggested is to switch off ADAS when driving in urban areas with heavy traffic. This is where people tend to break the rules most often in an attempt to get ahead. ADAS can deliver better results on highways and expressways, where people are usually more inclined to follow traffic rules such as keeping appropriate distance and avoid frequent lane changing.
Learning to drive with ADAS and getting to know all the features in detail can also help avoid such incidents. ADAS is new here and it will take time for drivers and other road users to understand and adjust.
