Feb. 2, 2022—A new AAA study has found some vehicles equipped with ADAS technology are not working properly.
According to a Reuters report, the study found monitoring systems that rely only on how drivers' handle the steering wheel were not successful. Those that use cameras to monitor drivers' eye and head position were significantly more effective at keeping drivers focused while vehicle software is engaged.
On average, those direct monitoring systems issued an alert to the driver around 50 seconds sooner than those relying on indirect steering wheel input.
The organization’s study utilized several different vehicles from several different automakers, including GM, Subaru, Hyundai and Tesla.
The Hyundai system performed worst, followed by the Tesla. Subaru's and GM's systems were much better at keeping drivers engaged, but none of the monitoring systems performed perfectly.
"Driver monitoring systems are a good first step to preventing deadly crashes, but they are not foolproof," said Greg Brannon, director of AAA's automotive engineering.