Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are all the rage among automakers. An updated 2024 report from the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS)—a collaboration between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and major automakers—found that as of the 2023 model year, six of 14 major driver assist features were found on at least 90% of new US vehicles. With the NHTSA mandating earlier in 2024 that automatic emergency braking be on all cars by 2029, the percentages are likely to rise.
However, not all car buyers are sold on ADAS technologies. Multiple studies have found that drivers consider the new features annoying and intrusive rather than helpful. As such, a large percentage of drivers switch certain features off, thus negating any safety or convenience effect they may have. Considering the new NHTSA requirement, it’s unlikely driver assistance will disappear anytime soon. But is ADAS too intrusive—and just as importantly, does it matter? Today, I’m looking at the state of driver assist features, why drivers think they’re intrusive, and whether any compromises are needed.
Do Driver Assistance Features Work?
First and foremost, we must address whether ADAS technology is effective. Based on current research, the answer appears to be yes. Data from the NHTSA and National Safety Council (NSC) indicate that ADAS could reduce US traffic deaths by 62%—which would mean nearly 21,000 fewer deaths annually. Furthermore, ADAS may reduce total crashes and their severity by the same percentage. Many other studies, including ones published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the European Transport Research Review, support these findings.
Since the initial advent of cruise control in the late 1940s, the number of available driver features has greatly expanded, and the definition of what’s classified as ADAS has also evolved. Here are the 14 driver assist features considered “major” by the PARTS report mentioned earlier and their market penetration in the most recent report:
- Forward Collision Warning — 94%
- Automatic Emergency Braking — 94%
- Lane Departure Warning — 92%
- Pedestrian Detection Warning — 92%
- Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking — 92%
- Automatic High-Beam Headlights — 90%
- Lane Keeping Assistance — 86%
- Blind Spot Warning — 73%
- Adaptive Cruise Control — 68%
- Lane Centering Assistance — 54%
- Intersection Automatic Emergency Braking — 34%
- Active Driving Assistance — 34%
- Blind Spot Intervention — 26%
- Curve Speed Correction — 22%
It’s worth noting that in the NHTSA/NSC, more than 90% of the potential death reduction was accounted for by two technologies: lane-keeping assistance and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. Still, each of the technologies has shown promise, whether for safety or convenience.
Opting Out of Driver Assistance
Despite this research, the technology has been slow to catch on, with some drivers opting not to use the technology even if it’s available. A 2020 survey by Erie Insurance found that 30% of drivers turned off adaptive cruise control while 22% disabled driver attention monitoring. Even technologies like lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking with the data to back them up were getting ignored by 23% and 17% of drivers, respectively. Adaptation has improved somewhat; the latest IIHS study finds almost 90% of drivers are now using the lane departure warnings versus 79% in the Erie Insurance study. Still, that’s a lot of drivers deeming driver assistance too intrusive or annoying to take advantage of its safety benefits.
Why People Find Driver Assistance Intrusive
So now it’s time to answer the obvious question: if driver assistance is so helpful, why do drivers hate it? Here’s a look at the four main reasons I’ve found and the validity of each.
1 – Distrust/Concern About New Technology
Not trusting new technology is common—there was initial distrust of smartphones, personal computers, automobiles, and even typewriters. The same apprehension has gripped driver assistance to some degree. To quote a poster on the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum, “I don’t like being a guinea pig.”
While such apprehension should be expected to some degree, another concern relates to the performance of driver-assist features. The Erie Insurance survey found two of the most common reasons for disabling a feature: “It is not helpful” and “It gives too many false alarms.” Furthermore, there have been several notable recalls and investigations related to ADAS technology. In 2024, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles because of software problems with the Autosteer feature, and the NHTSA opened an investigation into the Ford BlueCruise hands-free system. Drivers undoubtedly think a system is more intrusive when they’re not sure if it even works.
2 – They Find Them Distracting
Another reason for the hate is that rather than helping with distractions, drivers think ADAS systems ARE the distraction. In J.D. Power’s 2019 US Tech Experience Index Study, 23% of drivers found the constant alerts from lane-keeping and centering assistance systems to be overbearing and annoying. In turn, this made drivers more likely to disable the system or avoid it on future vehicles. Executive Director of Driver Interaction & Human Machine Interface Research Kristin Kolodge was quoted as saying, “The technology can’t come across as a nagging parent; no one wants to be constantly told they aren’t driving correctly.”
3 – They Want More Control
On a related note, some drivers think ADAS takes away their ability to process information and make decisions. In the Erie Insurance survey, another common reason given for turning off a driver assist feature was, “I want to control the vehicle, not have the vehicle control itself.” A study conducted in 2022 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found drivers would prefer assistance systems with partial automation rather than full automation via Newsweek.
However, separate studies by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and IIHS have found little to no evidence that partially automated driver-assistance features provide safety benefits. I’m sure a big reason for this is that drivers are finding ways to multitask even within the limits set by partially automated systems, whether from the start or as they grow more comfortable with them. To quote IIHS President David Harkey, “Everything we’re seeing tells us that partial automation is a convenience feature like power windows or heated seats rather than a safety technology.”
4 – Worries About Driver Actions
Although some drivers prefer to control the vehicle themselves, there is growing concern that other drivers are going the opposite way and becoming overly reliant on ADAS technology. This is what’s known as the Peltzman Effect, where people engage in more risky behaviors when safety measures are present. In this case, the argument is that the intrusiveness of driver safety makes pilots less attentive.
The Peltzman Effect was first studied in the late 1960s as it related to automobiles, and some data suggests certain ADAS features may be causing it. A 2021 IIHS study found drivers using adaptive cruise control and lane centering were more likely to exceed the speed limit, thus increasing their chances of being in an accident by 10%. Another IIHS study found that up to 53% of drivers with partially automated driver assist features treat their vehicles as self-driving even after being told not to.
So is Driver Assist Too Intrusive?
Now, it’s time to answer the big question. Based on the data and reasons given for why ADAS is too intrusive, my opinion is no. Yes, many ADAS technologies are intrusive — but that’s the point. If the features aren’t making their presence felt, drivers aren’t getting the safety benefits. And the reality is that many drivers aren’t as good as they think. To wit, an AAA study found that 73% of drivers rated themselves as above average, even though it’s highly improbable that more than 50% of drivers are above average.
The most concerning thing is the potential of intrusive ADAS causing the Peltzman Effect. To that, I’ll paraphrase the warning I often see when researching vehicles: the presence of driver assistance doesn’t eliminate the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle safely. Many ADAS features are still relatively new, and drivers are adjusting to this brave new world. I’m sure that even 5-10 years from now, the opinions on many driver assistance options will have shifted greatly.
