ADAS Accidents—A Perfect Storm Towards the Car of the Future?: NMA E-Newsletter #709

Automakers and safety advocates have pushed for more Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) on new vehicles for years. But is this burgeoning technology safe?

A June National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report indicated that over 400 accidents have occurred in the past year directly due to the failure or inappropriate use of ADAS. Those accidents resulted in six deaths and five serious injuries.

 NHTSA Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff said in the study’s news release:

“New vehicle technologies have the potential to help prevent crashes, reduce crash severity and save lives, and the department is interested in fostering technologies that are proven to do so; collecting this [sic] data is an important step in that effort.

“As we gather more data, NHTSA will be able to better identify any emerging risks or trends and learn more about how these technologies are performing in the real world.”

A year ago, NHTSA issued a standing general order that requires all automakers to report crashes involving ADAS. The data collected relate to Level 2 ADAS and Level 3 to Level 5 automated driving systems. (For information on the levels of ADAS and vehicle autonomy, see below.)

According to Auto News, the Feds said the numbers are not that meaningful yet. The publication’s editorial board went on to opine:

“We think the public and automotive industry would be better served if it waits until enough data can be processed into useful information that will begin to shape policy, liability laws, property and casualty insurance guidelines, and consumer decision-making.”

It added that the 400 crashes do not mean much without context and asked two significant questions:

  • Should the public be alarmed?
  • Does this mean advanced driver-assistance technology employed by Tesla (273 crashes) and Honda (90 crashes), which reported the bulk of such crashes, is inherently more dangerous than systems used by other automakers?

Of course, NHTSA has said that crash data collected so far cannot be used to compare automakers against one another. The agency also did not include numbers of vehicles deployed or miles traveled with vehicles utilizing ADAS. Auto News added in its report:

“This is not a criticism of NHTSA’s data collection or its intent. It has a monumentally challenging task of making sense of these emerging technologies and using that information to save lives. Doing so will take time. But such an early release, even with NHTSA’s clear caveats, opens the numbers to misrepresentation—or even malicious manipulation.”

In the name of transparency, the feds plan to issue updated numbers every month. Patterns might emerge. But we agree with Auto News that until then, the NHTSA, automakers, and consumers should use caution. Auto News again:

“Like driver-assist systems themselves, these reports can’t be relied on to steer the industry to safety.”

That said, isn’t the ‘perfect storm’ created by rapid development and introduction of AVs, a wary public that won’t be prepared to interact with them, roadways that are not designed with cohabitation in mind, and traffic administrators who are trying to keep pace with policies and traffic enforcement? Then you sprinkle on top the inherent risk of tech failures and adequate liability protection as the ADAS evolves.

ADAS features help drivers every day by improving traffic safety. However, as automakers introduce more sophisticated levels of driving autonomy, proper development and driver education will be essential.

What is ADAS?

ADAS first started in the 1950s with the adoption of anti-lock braking systems.

    • Level 0 (no automation): 
      • Anti-lock brakes, blind spot information system, forward-collision warning, lane departure warning, night vision, parking sensors, rear-cross traffic alert, surround-view, traction control, and traffic sign recognition
    • Level 1 (hands-on and shared control—the vehicle can control one functionality): 
      • Adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency brake assist, emergency brake assist, lane-keeping, and lane centering
    • Level 2 (hands-off, and the vehicle can control multiple functions to aid the driver): 
      • Autonomous obstacle avoidance, autonomous parking, and highway assist
    • Level 3 (eyes off):
      • Highway chauffeur (not fully embedded yet)
    • Level 4 (mind off):
      • Automated valet parking (not fully embedded yet)
    • Level 5 (steering wheel optional):
      • Fully automated (not yet)

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