Driver safety alert systems are taking over modern vehicles with every new design. Anyone who has driven a modern car is aware of the numerous alarms, signs, dings, and bells that are meant to keep drivers on the straight-and-narrow. Do these systems actually work? Should you pay careful attention to them?
Take a look at a few key data points uncovered by the Federal Highway Administration and AAA, keeping in mind that there are both direct and indirect systems available on the market.
Push Notifications for Roadside Activity
According to a report by the Federal Highway Administration, the State of Pennsylvania found that roadside accidents involving assistance personnel dropped when alerts were pushed to GPS services like Waze. Prior to these alerts, roadside service trucks and their drivers placed cones around their vehicles and hoped to be seen, especially at night.
In short, these services give you directions to a specific destination, sounding the turns and lane changes so that you do not need to look away from the road. At the same time, these mapping programs tell you if accidents have occurred in the area, a police officer is ahead, if traffic is slowing, and more. In the case of PENNDOT, roadside accidents involving their roadside assistance employees were reduced from 30 in 2018 to none in 2020.
Effectively, dangerous situations involving roadside assistance vehicles were fully eradicated.
Driver Alerts Systems Native to Modern Vehicles
Driver alert systems that are native to modern vehicles are set up to keep you in a narrow corridor where you cannot crash into other vehicles. Common alert features include:
- Lane drifting alerts for you
- Lane intrusion alerts from other vehicles
- Brake alerts when riding too close to vehicles in front
- Driver awareness alerts that may even shake the steering wheel
- Blind spot alarms
- Backup/reverse camera proximity alerts
In each case, these alerts sound when another vehicle is close to your vehicle. However, these alerts can occur often when drivers are on the highway, sitting in traffic, pulling out of a crowded parking lot, etc. Unfortunately, most vehicles allow you to silence these notifications, which can lead to dire consequences.
What Does AAA Say?
The American Automobile Association, commonly known as AAA, published a document on the effectiveness of native alert systems. Briefly, the document uncovered a few simple trends:
- Direct alert systems gave alarms nearly a minute earlier than the indirect systems, which drivers found to be less intrusive
- Drivers can easily circumvent onboard safety systems
- Driver alert systems are generally effective in all lighting conditions
The study, while lengthy, discovered that direct alert systems that are both loud and jarring are far more effective than indirect systems. Yes, drivers may feel as though indirect alerts are much less annoying, but indirect systems do not perform nearly as well.
What does this mean for drivers? Allow the alarms to blare in the car for the sake of your safety and the motorists around you.
Pay Close Attention to Driver Aids Designed to Keep You Safe
Car accidents lead to loss of life, devastating injuries and property damage every day. The city of Modesto, California alone saw more than 1,400 car accidents resulting in 19 deaths in 2022. Technologies on new cars are decided to help keep driver’s engaged and aware of potential hazards.
Given the information listed above, it is clear that driver aids installed in modern vehicles are tried and true safety devices. It is easy to be annoyed by the dings, bells, and alarms that warn of impending danger throughout a journey. At the same time, these alerts are meant to keep you on the right path, away from other vehicles, and on the proper course to your final destination. They are the wave of the future, and we must learn to drive with them in harmony.
Source: Do In-car Safety Alert Systems improve Driver Reaction Times?
