Jaguar Land Rover and DVSA issue urgent warning to drivers amid new speed limiter technology
41 per cent of drivers are unaware of what ADAS systems do
JAGUAR LAND ROVER
A popular UK car brand has warned motorists of the dangers of not understanding new technologies in cars such as speed limiters.
Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) are automatically installed in some vehicles, but a lack of awareness and understanding of how the technology works could put drivers in danger.
To combat this, car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover has partnered with the DVSA to help increase driver awareness of the systems.
It comes after a survey found that 41 per cent of drivers were not clear about what an ADAS system does in their car.
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JLR partnered with DVSA to raise driver awareness of ADAS systems
FlickrThe survey also found large numbers of drivers were unaware that the system’s autonomous emergency braking or reversing collision detection can be switched off when sensors are obscured by dirt or other debris, causing serious safety concerns.
Road safety rules in Europe were tightened in July with the adaptation of the Vehicle General Safety Regulation, which imposed several safety measures manufacturers must install in cars, including adding advanced emergency braking and intelligent speed assistance to all models.
The Department for Transport has commissioned research to look into the positive and negative impacts of the rules if they were to be introduced in Great Britain.
Government sources have told GB News that an update on whether similar rules will be introduced will be made in an update in the near future.
It remains a member of the European New Car Assessment Programme which incentivises many technologies already included in the General Safety Regulation.
If any rules were to change in relation to the new safety features, the DfT stated that it would require consultation and legislation to amend the GB-type approval scheme.
Thomas Mueller, JLR Executive Director of Product Engineering, said: “Road safety in Europe has improved significantly in the last decade thanks in part to technological advances such as mandatory fitting of ADAS systems to new cars.”
He added: “It is vital that drivers learn about the systems fitted to their cars and how to operateand maintain them so that they work most effectively.
“In addition to warnings in JLR vehicle handbooks, we are launching a drive to increase awareness about ADAS systems, and we are pleased the UK Government is taking steps to educate drivers in the UK about ADAS systems.”
Other survey findings found that 36 per cent of UK drivers have experienced their ADAS sensors not working because the sensors are dirty.
A further 20 per cent do not plan to clean their car more often, despite it ensuring the ADAS sensors work effectively while 22 per cent of drivers do not clean their cars at least once a month.
JLR has also been working with the DVSA to increase awareness about ADAS systems and is issuing public guidance to increase awareness of the issue.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Measures included in the ADAS systems can regulate speed
JLRThe technology uses GPS and traffic sign data to issue a warning to drivers when they are going over the speed limit on the road they're travelling on.