Parents of young drivers are worried that advanced driver assistance features could deter their offspring from learning the basics, according to new research.
The study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals that, despite vehicle technology having the potential to improve safety, parents have mixed opinions about how to introduce such technologies to their teenagers.
“Parents who have used advanced driving assistance features with their teens worry that things like blind spot monitoring or lane departure warning systems could prevent them from learning the basics of driving, but they’re also aware those same features might save them from a crash,” said IIHS Research Scientist Rebecca Weast, the lead author of the study.
The IIHS says teenage drivers are three times more likely than those 20 or older to be involved in a fatal crash, and says those deaths are often the result of single-vehicle crashes caused by speeding or other errors that cause the driver to lose control.
The IIHS worked with 21 parents on the study who had used a vehicle equipped with at least four common driver assistance features to teach their teens to drive.
These common features included blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, front or rear AEB, lane departure warning and lane departure prevention.
Overall, the parents expressed doubts about the technology more often than strong faith in its effectiveness.
“More research is needed to determine what role these features should play in learning to drive and how to ensure new drivers use these features properly,” added Weast.
