ORLANDO, Fla. — If your car has driving assistance technology, you’ll want to read this.
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A new safety study by AAA is raising red flags about driving assistance features in certain cars.
AAA said the study showed the driving assistance technology can’t always avoid a crash.
“The concern with this technology is that it enables drivers to potentially disengage with the act of driving, thinking that their vehicles autonomous, but our research shows that the performance of this technology is still inconsistent,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesperson.
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The agency tested how the technology responds to real-world situations, including a bicyclist crossing the street and a foam car veering into the test car’s lane.
“Oh my gosh. Yeah, that gives me anxiety. Wow. That’s not good at all,” Aurora Potter said.
Potter uses a bike to get around town. She said the video shows a major safety concern.
AAA said all vehicles collided head-on with the foam car when it was partially in the same travel lane.
Only one car slowed down before the impact.
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A crash occurred 33% of the time when a cyclist crossed in front of the test vehicle.
“These collisions would have been deadly if they happened in real life,” Jenkins said.
The test cars did slow down and brake when approaching a more slowly moving vehicle or bicyclist moving in the same direction in the same lane.
“We’re urging automakers to continue working on this new technology that exists today, that’s on the road right now, before shifting their focus to self-driving cars,” Jenkins said.
Potter said it’s a good reminder to be extra cautious.
“Please pay attention because like, at this point, yeah – you can’t really fully trust that these cars are gonna do what they say they’re gonna do,” Potter said.
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Channel 9 reached out to the manufacturers AAA tested in the study. So far Hyundai is the only one that got back to us, saying it’s reviewing the findings as part of its ongoing commitment to customer safety.
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