Advanced driver assistance systems technologies (ADAS) could prevent approximately 37 million crashes, 14 million injuries, and nearly 250,000 deaths over the next 30 years, according to new research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The new study suggests this would represent 16 percent of crashes and injuries and 22 percent of deaths that would otherwise occur on US roads without these technologies.
“The findings from this latest study on the AAA Foundation’s work in emerging technologies suggest that ADAS have the potential to transform road safety,” said Dr David Yang, president and executive director of the AAA Foundation.
“However, the full safety benefits of ADAS will not be realized unless they are fully understood by the consumer, used properly, and widely adopted.”
The AAA said the future safety benefits of ADAS could be larger or smaller, depending on various factors, including the rates of consumer uptake, use, and the future development of these technologies.
Some of the most common ADAS features include forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control that also assists with acceleration and braking, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance and blind spot monitoring.
Unlike full automation, which is not yet commercially available, ADAS works to form a vehicle’s “safety net.” The study found that the safety benefits of ADAS will vary depending on the type of system and how it is used.
