Almost all traffic accidents are because of human error. Someone didn’t pay enough attention and backed into another vehicle. Or they looked down for a second and accidentally drifted into another lane. Those actions could cause serious car accidents and potentially injuries as well. That’s why many cars today are equipped with something called ADAS. These adaptations can help make the road safer for everyone and prevent a large number of accidents.
Read on to learn more about ADAS, how it works, types of ADAS available, and what the future of driving may look like.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) includes any type of technology that makes driving safer, easier, and more comfortable. It includes anything from an alarm that warns when you leave a lane to systems that will automatically move the vehicle. Most new vehicles include these features, and it will only become more and more common to see cars with ADAS features installed.
Passive vs. Active ADAS Systems
There are two main types of ADAS systems: passive and active. Passive systems warn drivers of hazards or potential collisions. Some examples of passive ADAS include lane departure warnings and blind spot monitoring. The driver will still need to take evasive action to avoid a collision, but the ADAS features help them stay alert and know when action is needed.
Active ADAS includes anything that directly intervenes to prevent a collision. For example, automatic braking will slow down the car without the driver having to intervene. Adaptive cruise control works similarly as well. This feature will slow the vehicle from the set speed if there’s ever slower traffic. Many cars include both passive and active ADAS features to help improve driving safety.
Modern vehicles all have computers inside of them. These chips connect to sensors on the car. The sensors will pick up information about the environment and send it back to the processor. Some sensors work because of LIDAR technology, cameras, or even ultrasound. Self-driving cars incorporate all of these sensors since there is no driver to respond to alerts.
Once the sensors pick up information, it’s sent to a processor that uses data processing and decision-making tools to evaluate the appropriate response or alert. These tools aren’t able to make human-like decisions but are instead completely automated to turn certain information into a particular type of response.
The final part of an ADAS system is the human-machine interface (HMI). The HMI allows the driver to interact with the automated system. That can include any type of alert system or a screen where a driver can select certain systems and features.
ADAS systems are the most recent developments in terms of vehicle safety. Shatter-resistant glass, three-point seatbelts, and airbags were all passive safety measures added historically. Today, these six types of ADAS features are some of the most common safety features.
Collision Avoidance Systems
Collision avoidance systems is an umbrella term for any features that help alert drivers and avoid crashes of any kind. These features include:
Parking Assistance Systems
This is a catch-all term for any tool that helps drivers park their vehicles safely and effectively. Some features that help with parking assistance include:
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an improved version of traditional cruise control. The driver will set a certain speed like with conventional cruise control features, but the adaptive cruise control will adjust the speed as needed for enhanced safety. ACC automatically adjusts the speed of your car to match the speed of the car in front of you. If the car ahead slows down, ACC can automatically match it, regardless of what speed the driver set for cruise control. That can reduce the risk of cruise control leading to accidents.
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Blind spot monitoring (BSM) uses sensors or cameras to determine if a vehicle or object is in a blind spot. Oftentimes, this feature will alert the driver that something is in their blind spot by using a blinking light on the mirrors. If the driver turns on their signal to switch into a lane where someone is in their blind spot, the car will alert the driver more strongly that this isn’t a safe place to move the car.
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)
TSR uses forward-facing cameras to detect traffic signs. This technology allows the car to “see” the signs and alert the driver to any changes. For example, the vehicle can detect speed limit signs and display them on the dashboard for the driver. That way, if the driver misses a sign or doesn’t notice it, they’re still able to know what speed to drive to keep everyone safer. TSR can also typically notice “children at play” signs and signs about turns.
Night Vision Systems
Night vision lets the car “see” what’s farther ahead in the dark. Headlights only show a limited view of what’s ahead in the dark, even when turned on the highest setting. This is made even more difficult if there’s poor weather conditions, like rain or fog, that can impede vision.
Night vision systems use technology to show drivers what’s in front of them earlier than they would see it with headlights. It can alert drivers to obstacles like other vehicles, deer, pedestrians, and other creatures that could be on the road. Better night vision helps drivers avoid accidents in situations where it might be difficult to do so without help.
ADAS comes with many benefits for drivers and organizations that employ drivers in a fleet. Some of the key benefits of installing this type of technology include:
While there are many benefits from using ADAS, there are some challenges that come from being too reliant on these systems:
ADAS is already helping boost driver safety and reduce collisions. The future developments in this field will only continue to do so. For example, it’s likely that future-generation ADAS will implement wireless network connectivity to enable Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I or V2X). These systems will allow vehicles to communicate with each other through the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide a more safe and automated driving experience.
Overall, ADAS systems are a powerful way to improve safety on the road for everyone. This is especially true if you run a business that relies on drivers and fleet management. These developments can help keep drivers safe and reduce the risk of damage to fleet vehicles.
Learn more about how IoT supports driver safety.
Stay up to date on all things IoT by signing up for email notifications.
U3GM Blog Post Comments