Editorial: Can ADAS solve distracted driving?

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Constant distraction is certainly a byproduct of living in the technological age, and it is truly dangerous when it comes to mobility.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show distracted driving, on average, causes 3,000 fatalities a year — or about eight deaths a day. In 2020 alone, NHTSA said, 324,652 individuals were injured in car accidents due to distracted driving.

If you see a motorist swerving on the highway, chances are that person is probably looking their cellphone. While distracted driving has decreased in the last decade, drivers still spend around a minute and a half on their cellphones for every hour of driving, according to a study by Cambridge Mobile Telematics.

In this respect, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become the most important safety feature on a vehicle. If you watch drivers become distracted and suddenly correct themselves, chances are the ADAS alerted them.

In a recent study, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimates 250,000 U.S. road deaths could be prevented in the next 30 years because of ADAS. That would represent 16% of crashes and injuries and 22% of deaths that would occur on U.S. roads without the technologies, AAA said.

Most new vehicles entering the market have some sort of technology that falls under the ADAS umbrella. Out of the 280 million light trucks and cars on the road, about 45% are ADAS-equipped, industry data show.

Right now, ADAS encompasses a range of vehicle features, including backup cameras, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warnings, automatic braking and blind-spot recognition. Ultimately, ADAS is the key to autonomous driving in the future.

“The full safety benefits of ADAS will not be realized unless they are fully understood by the consumer, used properly and widely adopted,” David Yang, AAA Foundation executive director, said.

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