Driver assistance technology is becoming more prevalent in vehicles, and for a good reason. Systems such as rear-view cameras, lane departure mitigation, and vehicle proximity alerts are designed to improve safety and reduce collisions. Moreover, driving a vehicle with driver assistance technologies can net you a modest discount from your car insurance provider.
However, according to a recent survey of drivers in Quebec conducted by Léger on behalf of Allstate Canada, many drivers don’t understand these features or find them distracting, and they disable them.
Only 35% of survey respondents from Quebec said they understand all the features available in their cars, while 52% of Canadians rarely or never rely on the driver-assist features. Furthermore, 42% mentioned they were distracted by the warnings, and 56% admitted they disabled at least one of them. The two main reasons respondents are disabling their driver-assist features are that they are annoying (63%) and don’t trust them (14%).
Unfortunately, that means people are missing the full benefits of the technologies, as Allstate Canada says that vehicles equipped with more driver assistance technologies tend to have a lower frequency of claims than vehicles equipped only with a rear-view camera.
Let’s say you’re looking to upgrade your wheels and intend to buy a new vehicle equipped with all the safety features modern technology can provide. You might wonder what to keep an out for and which automotive technologies are among the best available today. Here’s a handy list of the types of driver assistance technologies most modern cars and trucks have and the safety features they offer:
According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, a combination of forward-collision warning, lane departure warning, and advanced emergency braking are associated with a 5% reduction in the frequency of collision claims, an 11% reduction in the frequency of property damage claims, and a 16% reduction in the frequency of bodily injury claims.
Meanwhile, Allstate Canada recommends the following best practices for drivers who have vehicles equipped with an array of driver assistance technologies:
Since driver assistance technologies are designed to mitigate the chances of getting into a collision and filing a claim, many car insurance providers will give their policyholders a discount for having them. However, because of the complex computer systems and sensors that are involved, these vehicles can also be expensive to repair, and increasing claims costs are a factor that contributes to premium increases.
Nevertheless, safety is the goal here, and if preventing a collision and upping your protection while on the road is a primary concern, all these technologies can help.
– with files from Thompson’s World Insurance News.