According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), most electronic systems that perform some driving tasks for humans do not adequately check if the driver is paying attention, do not issue strong enough warnings, or do not take other measures to prompt the driver to act.
Of the 14 partially automated systems tested, only one demonstrated sufficient performance to receive a full approval rating. The other two received average ratings, while the others received poor ratings. No system received the highest rating of “good.”
David Harkey, President of IIHS, said, “In most cases, appropriate measures to prevent misuse and keep the driver focused on what’s happening on the road are not included.” He added that the institute has introduced new ratings to ensure that car companies follow standards, including how closely they monitor drivers and how quickly the car sends a warning if the driver is not paying attention.
Only the Teammate system of the Lexus LS received an adequate rating. The Super Cruise of the GMC Sierra and the Pro Pilot Assist with Navi Link adopted in Nissan’s Ariya received marginal evaluations.
Other systems, such as Nissan, Tesla, BMW, Ford, Genesis, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo, received low ratings.
David Harkey pointed out that some car companies sell their systems in a way that could lead drivers to believe they are fully autonomous.
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