Smart Tech for Safer Roads
- Selina Paul
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Last week, Brake, the UK road safety charity, hosted its annual Road Safety Week. This
year’s theme, Safe Vehicles Save Lives, highlighted how vehicle safety features and modern tech can help protect people on the road.
From sensors that can ‘see’ hazards and road markings, to AI-powered steering functions, modern vehicles are increasingly equipped with technology aimed at improving traffic safety. At the center of this shift are advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), features designed to help make driving easier and safer by boosting driver awareness, improving reaction time, and taking automatic action when needed.
According to road safety organizations across the globe, ADAS hold the potential to save thousands of lives each year and significantly reduce traffic crashes
ADAS by Acronym: What Do They Do?
Today’s ADAS largely began with Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS), which were first
introduced in the 1970s. This technology, now an essential feature of modern vehicles,
helps keep wheels from locking during sudden braking and allows drivers to maintain
steering control, especially on wet roads.
Other early ADAS innovations that have become standard features include Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control, both of which build on ABS to reduce loss of
vehicle control and regulate wheels. These systems detect if a tire loses grip and applies
braking to the specific wheel to prevent oversteering and skidding.
In the 2000s, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), and
Blindspot Monitoring (BSM) made their entry into the market. These features alert drivers to dangerous situations, like lane drifting or potential collisions, and prompt them to take action. They also encourage drivers to scan and signal properly before a maneuver.
Within the last decade, tech advancements have pushed vehicle safety systems beyond
mere warnings to systems that can react to what’s happening on the road. For example,
Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), also known as active or intelligent braking, detects slow or stilled traffic ahead and applies the brakes if the driver hasn’t done so themselves.
Cars with Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) have 50% fewer rear-end crashes than those without.
Similar features, like Pedestrian Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts (which senses cars approaching from the side while reversing), help prevent collisions via automatic braking. For drivers in urban areas, these systems have become essential aids in keeping road users safe, and AEB for one is increasingly being mandated in new vehicles (in the UK it has been required since 2022 and it will be standard in the U.S by 2029).
Other new features, like Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) and Lane Centering, improve upon LDW by restricting drifting and continuously steering the vehicle towards the middle of the lane. However, this tech has limitations, as lane markings can be obstructed by snow, debris, or become faded over time, making them harder for the system to identify. Sharp turns and curves are also harder for the vehicle to follow and may require drivers to manually steer the course.
Safety Tech Lost in Translation
As this new tech continues to change the way we drive, some drivers are struggling to keep up. The rapid inclusion of new safety features and a growing number of alerts and icons on the dashboard can be confusing and overwhelming.
A recent study by Brake found a significant lack of understanding of safety features, with
63% of drivers admitting they don't understand what all of the safety features in their
vehicle do. A similar US poll revealed that nearly half of drivers do not recognise the
warning lights or symbols of newer tech systems.
Unexpected movements while driving or uncertainty about how to respond to alerts can
increase frustration and make drivers hesitant to engage with vehicle safety systems. Several studies have found that some drivers either don’t use their car’s driver-assist features regularly or have even turned them off entirely.
“More than a third of drivers (35%) have switched off at least one safety feature in their car. Primary reasons for doing so include finding it annoying, not thinking it will make them safer or not understanding what it does. ” (Brake)
Whatever the reason, drivers not using their vehicle’s safety features is a cause for
concern. While these features aren’t a substitute for active safe driving, they provide a
crucial layer of support in preventing accidents, particularly in emergency and unexpected situations. When these systems are disabled, drivers lose a valuable safeguard that could make the difference between a close call and a collision.
These technologies are designed to protect everyone on the road, but they can’t do that if they’re not switched on.
No Replacement for Safe Driving
As important as it is to standardize and enable these safety features, it is also vital that
drivers do not rely solely on ADAS for safe driving. Driver-assist functions are not a
replacement for safe driving habits, nor are they foolproof systems. An overreliance on
ADAS can be extremely dangerous, as drivers may become less attentive and slower to
respond in critical situations, especially when technology fails.
Vehicle cameras can easily get foggy or smudged, and lose their ability to accurately
identify cars, obstacles, or road markings. Low-visibility weather conditions like glare, rain, or snowfall can also distort a vehicle’s ‘vision’ and perception capabilities. Similarly,
vehicle sensors can often struggle to detect small objects or sudden movements from
other vehicles or pedestrians, which are some of the riskiest situations. These systems are particularly unreliable in spotting children, who may be partially obscured or run quickly into a vehicle’s path. ADAS aren’t perfect, drivers should never assume their vehicle will see and respond to all hazards on the road. Instead, drivers should use vehicle features to stay aware, make safer decisions, and help prevent accidents before they happen.
When drivers prioritize alert and safe driving and understand how to use their vehicle’s
safety features responsibly—using them as support, not a substitute—the combination of human judgment and technology helps create safer streets and save lives.
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