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Curves on the road pose a problem for drivers with access to advanced driver assistance technology, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and other automation systems, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The curves might limit the safety benefits of the features for which consumers are purchasing these cars. However, it is also possible that drivers are more hesitant to use these features on sharp curves.
The IIHS is an independent nonprofit organization funded by multiple insurance companies. They serve to help reduce fatalities, personal injury, and property damage on the road from motor vehicle and motorcycle crashes. This organization utilizes data from policymakers and industry safety professionals to provide everyday safety information for current drivers on American roads.
In some cases, drivers are turning these features off during lane centering and curves on the road. In other cases, features such as ACC and other advanced partial automatic features that work with ACC are being automatically deactivated. IIHS Senior Research Transportation Engineer Wen Hu, the lead on the study, points to driver engagement with these features, saying,
“We know that advanced driver assistance features may help prevent crashes, but obviously can only do so if drivers use them. This study suggests that these technologies will only be able to reach their full potential if drivers can trust them to handle curves.”
The Technology
Adaptive cruise control operates similarly to the cruise control that has been standard in numerous vehicles since the mid-twentieth century. Cruise control is a feature that drivers must activate or deactivate themselves, helping them maintain a set speed on the road. To change speeds with cruise control, the driver has to turn the feature off.
Adaptive cruise control is a feature that is slightly more intuitive than that. Using cameras and radar technology, ACC helps drivers regulate speed, but it also assesses the traffic in front and around the driver to maintain a safe following distance. With this feature comes lane centering, enabling the driver to stay in the middle of the lane, a feature also known as Pilot Assist.
The Study
The research team at IIHS used data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium. They examined onboard data collected from four vehicles driven by 39 drivers over four weeks. The cars were two 2016 Land Rover Range Rover Evoques and two 2017 Volvo S90s.
The Range Rovers had ACC, while the S90s had both ACC and Pilot Assist features. When driven on curves, both vehicles used ACC and Pilot Assist less. The Range Rover drivers were 72 percent less likely to use ACC on the sharpest curves. Researchers defined the sharpest curves as those with a radius of less than 2,292 feet, or approximately one-half mile.
The S90 vehicle drivers were 66 percent less likely to use ACC and 75 percent less likely to use Pilot Assist on sharp curves. The researchers could not determine if the features were automatically deactivated or if the drivers turned them off themselves. They know that lane-centering features often become automatically deactivated when a driver uses the turn signal or turns the wheel a certain way.
Many drivers will do this on sharp curves as an intuitive response to turning a car into a new direction. Other times, the ACC will automatically deactivate when the brake is applied. Drivers will do this frequently on sharp curves. Still, IIHS researchers say this feature being automatically deactivated by the vehicle’s technology or the driver themselves will pose a safety limitation either way. Hu said,
“The fact that Pilot Assist was frequently inactive on the sharpest curves is an important limitation since the kinds of crashes lane-centering could help prevent are more likely to occur on curves than on straightaways.”
Lane centering technology is continually studied by organizations such as the IIHS and auto manufacturers. A 2016 study by the IIHS found that when front crashes are prevented, rear-end crash rates are reduced, as are rear-end crash injuries, by 56 percent. IIHS estimated that technology such as ACC could reduce those injuries and crash rates even more.
Lane centering was estimated to be significant in other crashes in a related study, where lane departure warnings were assessed. These warnings tell the driver when the car is drifting. Car drifting contributes to single-vehicle collisions and head-on collisions.
Lane departure technology has been shown to reduce these crashes by 11%, demonstrating how advanced driver-assistance systems can help improve safety and prevent property damage. ACC and Pilot Assist are also designed to help provide similar benefits. However, recent studies suggest that the effectiveness of these safety features may decrease on sharp curves with a radius of up to one-half mile.
Consult With Our California Car Accident Attorneys
At Arash Law, we consider all these factors when evaluating your car accident. We understand that there is a lot that goes into investigating what happened and when it happened when your car is involved in a crash. If you have been a car accident victim, reach out to our California car accident lawyers at (888) 488-1391 for a free review of your case. You can also contact Arash Law online for inquiries about our legal services.
