Electronic Safety Systems May Not Be That Safe

An industry insurance group is warning consumers that cars and trucks with electronic driver assist systems may not always see stopped vehicles, and the systems could even steer the car into a crash if the driver isn’t paying attention.

In a recent paper, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested five driver assist programs from BMW, Mercedes, Tesla, and Volvo on both a track and public roads. They point out that while it is true electronic driver assist systems can save your life, they can also fail under certain circumstances and potentially cause serious car accidents.

David Zuby, IIHS’s chief research officer, said, “We have found situations where the vehicles under semi-automated control may do things that can put you and your passengers at risk, and so you really need to be on top of it to prevent that from happening.”

Results of the study

One of the more alarming results found by IIHS was with the systems in the Tesla Models S and 3. They tested the driver assist program with the adaptive cruise control turned off and the automatic braking system turned on.

At 31 miles per hour, both models were able to brake and avoid a crash, but the vehicle still hit a stationary balloon. These were the only two models that failed to stop in time during the track tests. However, when researchers activated the adaptive cruise control, both Teslas braked earlier and more gently, avoiding the balloon.

On the road test, however, none of the vehicles except the Tesla’s Model 3 responded to stopped vehicles in front of them. Previously, these systems tested—the ones found in the Teslas, BMW’s 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, and the Volvo S-90—have been rated “Superior” in IIHS tests.

Zuby did point out that driver assist systems do increase safety, but these recent tests show that they’re not 100% reliable and that drivers should read their manuals thoroughly. Although Tesla calls its system “Autopilot” and Volvo calls its system “Pilot Assist,” these systems are not self-driving, and as Zuby says, “They will help you with some steering or speed control but you really better be paying attention because they don’t always get it right.”

The report noted that many of the cars’ lane-centering systems failed on curves and hills. The BMW, Tesla Model S, and Volvo went over the lane or veered toward it regularly, requiring driver intervention.

The IIHS also pointed out that the fatal California crash of a Tesla Model X SUV earlier this year shows the technology still has limits and that some drivers don’t use it properly. They also noted the recent death of a pedestrian in Arizona involving an autonomous vehicle as one of the dangers of testing these technologies on public roads.

As of this writing, messages left by the media for the automakers had not been answered.

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