Euro NCAP Revises ADAS Testing to Address Driver Annoyance
D.Novikov / 32CARS
Euro NCAP is updating how it tests driver assistance systems due to driver complaints about intrusiveness. New public road tests and smarter systems aim to reduce unnecessary alerts while improving safety.
Euro NCAP is preparing to revise how it evaluates driver assistance systems. The reason is simple: ADAS have become mandatory in Europe, but some drivers find them annoying, intrusive, and too noisy.
Under the GSR2 regulations, new cars now come with intelligent speed limiters, lane keeping, automatic braking, and other features. According to a Thatcham Research survey, 82% of drivers in the UK feel safer with ADAS, but nearly a quarter call these systems distracting or intrusive. Some simply turn them off after every startup.
Euro NCAP believes the next step is adapting these systems to individual drivers. For example, lane keeping shouldn't intervene when the driver is attentively controlling the car. And the monitoring system shouldn't nag every time the driver briefly adjusts the temperature or turns off the radio. The assistant should distinguish between dangerous distraction and normal driving actions.
Smarter protection systems are also on the way. Interior cameras will be able to detect incorrect seatbelt use, feet on the dashboard, or sitting too close to the airbag. Seatbelts and airbags will more precisely adjust to a passenger's height, build, and position.
Starting this year, Euro NCAP will begin testing ADAS on public roads. Each test vehicle will cover about 1,930 km across at least three European countries, with sensors recording sign recognition errors, false braking events, and lane-keeping behavior.
For drivers, this could mean the end of an era of pointless beeps. Safety should assist, not send you hunting for the off button.
