April 05, 2022
Cars with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which automate certain tasks — braking, accelerating, and steering in some situations — are more common at all price levels in 2022. From lane changing assistance, to brief hands-free driving and much more.
It is important to note that there are no self-driving cars on the market today. Advanced driver-assistance technology offers convenience, ease of some driving tasks and some added safety, but these days all require an attentive driver to be ready to take over when needed.
The latest review of AAA automated vehicles shows that this is normal for most drivers. Only 22% think automakers should focus on self-driving cars, and 80% just want current ADAS technology to work better. This is consistent with many drivers’ real-world experience; we have found that such systems vary in smoothness, accuracy, and ease of use.
Here are some key active assistance systems on the market now
Adaptive Cruise Control Down to a Stop
The current “smart” adaptive cruise control uses sensors (cameras, radar, ultrasound, or a combination of both, which can also include GPS and navigation) and manages acceleration and braking to maintain a selected distance from the vehicle in front to a target speed set by the driver. Most systems work down to a full stop, although some older systems only run at certain speeds. Some will automatically resume after being stopped in motion if the stop lasts a few seconds; others always need to press the accelerator or the resume button to continue after stopping.
While all brakes control speed in response to the deceleration of the vehicle in front, more advanced systems can also monitor the movement of the vehicle in front for deceleration. Some systems can now adjust speed more slowly for motorway curves or junctions, and some can even respond to changes in posted speed limits.
Lane-Centering Steering
True Lane Centering actively steers to keep your vehicle centered in the marked lane. Don’t confuse this with Lane Departure Assist, which will only pull you back if you start drifting over lane markings. Most of these systems now require you to keep your hands on the wheel. They will alert you and then turn off if the sensors detect that your hands are not on the wheel for a short time.
Central steering also stops if the lane signals disappear, such as in the event of a lane merge or split, roadworks or bad weather. Most lane centering systems now work from highway speeds to a stop, but some still only work when certain speeds are exceeded. Some advanced systems can now perform other steering functions, such as changing lanes on command. Some of them now also have a more sophisticated setting for more natural driving, such as a slight offset from the center of the lane if a vehicle in an adjacent lane approaches a road marking.
Hands-Free Steering
These systems are the latest in active steering assist systems, working in tandem with adaptive cruise control to steer, accelerate and brake the car in its lane without having to put your hands on the steering wheel. Some include the ability to automatically change lanes. Currently, they all operate in very limited circumstances, usually only on pre-mapped highways in the US and Canada using GPS connectivity and cloud map data. While they don’t require your hands on the steering wheel, currently, all of them require you to keep your eyes on the road (confirmed by the driver-facing interior camera) and be ready to take back full control if you’re alerted. Automakers such as General Motors, BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota are implementing or expanding the availability of such systems.
All systems still require – and checked by camera – that your eyes are on watching the road. Note that there may be additional usage fees for these systems after the initial free period. Most automakers are considering a subscription model for such premium services and software.