Mandatory from July 7!

Assistance systems: Between saving and annoying

(Bild: ADAC/Ralph Wagner)

From July 7, a further nine assistance systems will be mandatory in newly registered cars - even though some of them are far from functioning reliably. This is also shown by studies carried out by the ÖAMTC, which tested the systems and surveyed their acceptance.

Currently, four assistance systems (ABS, ESP, brake assist, seatbelt reminder) are included as standard in passenger cars. Now nine more are being added:

• Emergency Brake Assist
• emergency lane departure warning
• Intelligent Speed Assist
• Emergency brake light
• reversing assistant
• Driver drowsiness warning system
• Device for the installation of "Alkolocks"
• Protection of the vehicle against cyber attacks
• Event-related data recording

According to the EU type approval regulation, these systems must be installed in vehicles first registered on or after July 7, 2024.

One of the most controversial of these is the "intelligent" speed assistant, which displays the current speed limit based on camera images and navigation map data and provides an acoustic and visual warning if the speed limit is exceeded. Experience from countless tests of current cars in the "Krone" motoring editorial team shows that this assistance system is anything but: This assistance system is anything but reliable and is far too often off the mark. If it displays a limit that is too high, this can result in an expensive speed camera fine (apart from the danger of speeding), while a limit that is displayed too low is annoying and especially dangerous if the car automatically takes over and brakes down abruptly.

The lack of reliability has now been proven by the ÖAMTC in road tests. Two things are irritating: Why does the system not work reliably for any manufacturer, even though it has been on the market for almost 20 years and has been further developed? Hella presented the first front camera with traffic sign and lane recognition back in 2007. And: Why does the EU prescribe an assistant that does not work?

Other systems are also criticized by the ÖAMTC, such as "inappropriate steering interventions by lane departure warning systems" or "systems that constantly remind the driver to keep their eyes on the road, thereby causing stress", says ÖAMTC technician David Nosé. It is possible to deactivate the systems. But: "Switching them off is not a solution, it's a waste of safety potential," says Nosé.

Assistance systems can save lives
The need for functioning assistance systems is beyond question. "In 2023, there were 22,970 car accidents with personal injury in Austria, more than 80 percent of which were caused by one of the drivers involved. Depending on the accident constellation, driver assistance systems have the potential to prevent accidents altogether or at least reduce the severity of accidents," explains the expert.

For example, a third of single-vehicle accidents are caused by 'inattention, distraction': in this case, the emergency lane departure warning system can intervene to prevent the driver from leaving the lane. In meeting traffic, this is considered to be the cause of a quarter of accidents with personal injury, which are mainly caused by car drivers. "An emergency lane departure warning system can prevent many of these accidents or mitigate the consequences if you leave the road due to carelessness or cross the center line into oncoming traffic," says Nosé. Emergency Brake Assist reduces the number and severity of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists, as well as accidents in oncoming traffic.

The most important assistants without which no new vehicle may be registered from July 7, 2024

(Bild: ÖAMTC)

A third of those surveyed (1096 people, including 1003 drivers) in a Spectra survey commissioned by the ÖAMTC stated that the intervention of an assistance system had already saved them in a dangerous situation - 58 percent by a signal tone, 50 percent by braking. At the same time, a third also reported a false warning - the signal tone (43 percent) and braking (41 percent) are on a par here.

57 percent of respondents trust the systems. However, only just under half know the meaning of the signals - only 44 percent of drivers whose vehicle has assistance systems can assign all sounds and signals. "Conversely, this means that 56 percent do not know or only partially know the signals," says Nosé. The ÖAMTC expert also refers to previous surveys of club members. "The results suggest that fewer people understand the signals today than a few years ago - this could be due to the variety of systems and the increasing complexity of operating modern vehicles."

But would you rather switch off?
The joy among drivers about the "beneficial" assistance systems is apparently limited: 28% of drivers surveyed would deactivate the deactivatable systems manually every time they restart the car (which can be very cumbersome in some cars ) - men and younger drivers stand out here in particular. The main argument is regaining control of their own vehicle. Despite some skepticism, 71 percent of drivers surveyed think that equipping vehicles with driver assistance systems is modern and up-to-date, while 65 percent also see it as a benefit for road safety - 41 percent, on the other hand, fear higher repair and maintenance costs as a result.

The fact is: assistance systems can improve road safety if they function reliably. But this is not yet the case for all of them.