Tech, rules… Update on Driving Assistants (ADAS).

Automated driving assistance systems, designated by the acronym ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), continue to make their mark on new cars. With the promise of safer driving and increased comfort for drivers. Inseparable from the smart and connected car, these systems rely on sensors (ultrasound radars, cameras, lidars) that provide driving data. Which is then processed by a processor with algorithms or even artificial intelligence.

Safety and convenience

These driving aids, such as the currently mandatory trajectory control or automatic emergency braking, are said to be “active” when they are engaged in direct traffic. It is “passive” when it requires driver intervention to deal with a hazard, such as drowsiness or lane departure signals. However, ADAS may seem more optional and focus more on driver convenience, such as automatic parking assist or level 2 semi-autonomous driving, which is still often optional.

Often described as guardian angels or safety devices that compensate for human error, ADAS are also paving the way for autonomous driving. If their role remains for now to inform drivers and assist them in driving, they will be equipped with a number of automated systems, i.e. a robot that can provide level 3 autonomous driving, etc. they can replace them by forming.

Meanwhile, the number of ADAS has increased over the past two decades, particularly under the influence of the EuroNCAP association, which takes this type of equipment into account when determining its vehicle safety ratings. While some ADAS are not yet mandatory to get five stars, they remain essential. That’s why manufacturers integrate them massively into their range to avoid the drop.

Always more mandatory ADAS

In addition, regulations are increasingly making ADAS mandatory. The list continues to grow for new passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and heavy vehicles across the European Union: around fifteen devices were added last July, under community legislation adopted in April 2019 (see box below). Europe’s target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050. The European Commission estimates that ADAS could save more than 25,000 lives and at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038, including cyclists and pedestrians.

But these driving aids are not always well understood by drivers, who sometimes find them too intrusive, even annoying to the point of driving. However, if they are not well adopted, ADAS can actually be destabilizing and cause additional risks to drivers.

Renault Austral – Pedestrian parking radar

Mandatory ADAS in 2022

European regulations introduced a new list of mandatory safety equipment for all manufacturers last July. Therefore, this equipment should be introduced as standard in all new vehicles (PC, LCV and heavy vehicles) from May 2022 and fitted to all vehicles marketed from May 2024. This is their content by vehicle category.

For VPs

• Intelligent Speed Adaptation (AIV) system
• Facilitating installation of alcohol ignition interlock device (EAD).
• Driver drowsiness and distraction warning systems
• Advanced driver distraction warning systems
• Emergency stop signals
• Reverse detection systems
• Event data logs
• Accurate tire pressure monitoring system

For PC and LCV

• Advanced emergency braking systems capable of detecting vehicles in front of the vehicle and vulnerable road users.
road as pedestrians and cyclists
•Emergency lane keeping systems
• Wide head impact protection zones designed to reduce injuries in crashes with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists

For heavy vehicles (buses and trucks)

•Advanced systems capable of detecting pedestrians and cyclists in the immediate vicinity of the right side of the vehicle, warning of their presence or avoiding any accidents with these vulnerable road users
•Construction to reduce front and driver side blind spots

Ignorance and underuse

A height. In 2021, the insurer Allianz, together with the CSA, published an instructive study on the use of ADAS by French car drivers. This barometer noted the lack of knowledge about these aids, but also their underutilization. For example, 69% of people surveyed said they fear being distracted or less alert while driving using ADAS, and 60% are reluctant to entrust certain tasks to them. 75% were afraid of technical failure and 46% were afraid of the risk of hacking. The study also highlighted a lack of information and support among drivers, with only one in two receiving an explanation from a salesperson or documentation when buying their car.

For the road prevention association, the development of ADAS is a step in the right direction and complements traditional passive safety equipment (air bags, seat belts, etc.) that limit the consequences of accidents. But the organization reminds on its website that there is no substitute for driver vigilance and relying on this equipment alone to reduce accidents is an illusion. The association also warns that these misused technologies can create new risks. Because with always more information to work quickly, drivers can experience a sense of overload that directly threatens their vigilance towards the environment. ADAS can likewise enhance a sense of safety, which can influence drivers’ attention and cause them to take additional risks. Morally, if drivers don’t master these tools properly, they can have the opposite effect of what is being sought.

Alcohol and fatigue in line of sight

Among the mandatory new safety equipment, Road Safety has long insisted on the introduction of two systems: the pre-installation of an intelligent speed limiter and an immobilizer system, which limits the engine when the permitted speed is exceeded. requires drivers to test their alcohol level using a breathalyzer before they can start their car.

Another important issue related to road safety, among others in the occupational context, is related to fatigue in about 10% of fatal accidents (one in three on the highway). It is the third leading cause of death on the roads after speeding and alcohol. Also, fatigue or attention loss detectors have become mandatory. But their effectiveness remains to be proven, as most watch the car’s suspicious actions on the road, not the driver.

Finally, starting this year, all new cars must be equipped with an event data recording device (EDR), or black box, as in airplanes. This device records vehicle information (speed, braking or ADAS activation) before and after an accident, which helps to understand the origin and causes of the incident a posteriori.

ADAS training at UTAC

UTAC (Union technique de l’automobile, du motocycle et du cycle) offers special training days to learn how to master driving. They are mainly aimed at buyers and decision-makers: fleets, rental companies, insurers, as well as individuals who want to improve their knowledge of ADAS. This safety training center is legitimate in this regard: a large number of ADAS are indeed tested in the Linas-Montlhéry scheme (91), including in autonomous or semi-autonomous cars before they are put on the market.

During these UTAC training days, 70% of the time is dedicated to driving on a circuit with professional trainers to support participants in the use of ADAS in vehicles equipped on board. Trainees are exposed to a variety of road conditions both on the circuit and on neighboring roads. For companies and fleets, UTAC recommends that training follow vehicle renewals, ie every three to four years under LLD. It’s about accompanying changes to ensure that new technologies don’t destabilize drivers. This ADAS training can be combined with eco-driving courses in the same logic of good practices and assessment of each person’s skills. According to UTAC, 93% of accidents are caused by human behavior, hence the importance of adopting ADAS.