Maximising the use of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) could prevent over 7,000 Australian road casualties every year, according to a landmark study led by major insurer IAG.
Partnering with the Queensland University of Technology and the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre, the research examined why these safety features aren't reducing accidents as effectively as expected, despite strong international proof of their benefits.
IAG Research Centre Head Shawn Ticehurst noted that while driver-assist technology is increasingly built into newer cars as standard equipment, it isn't delivering the expected drop in accident rates. He emphasised that getting drivers to actually use these systems fully could cut annual road casualties across Australia by up to 20%.
IAG’s research combines field observations of 50 drivers using six ADAS safety features, QUT analysis of 100,000 vehicle collisions, and a national survey of 2,000 drivers.
“Sixty per cent of Australian drivers are actively turning off driver-assist safety features, while many others are learning to use the technology through trial and error”.
The research identified key barriers and knowledge gaps preventing drivers from confidently using these features.
QUT’s analysis found that every driver-assist system studied reduced the type of crash it was designed to prevent, including sideswipes by up to 40%, head-on collisions by up to 21%, and lane-change accidents by up to 15%.
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