Drivers find vital safety features annoying and switch them off
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Feb 2024
More than a third (41%) of the drivers participating in a new study in the UK, have turned off features in their car designed to keep them safe. Most drivers said they had switched off life-saving vehicle technology because they find it annoying.
The 24-page new research ‘Vehicle safety systems and the future of driving’, published in December 2023 was conducted by the UK road safety charity Brake and AXA Insurance.
It revealed that the participants in the survey said they didn’t think the safety features make them safer. The features that are generally turned off by the drivers, include safety features such as lane-keeping assistance and reversing cameras or sensors.
The survey found that 47% of male drivers have switched off safety features in their car compared with 35% of women.
A media release by AXA UK said although the majority (82%) of drivers surveyed consider the safety rating to be an important factor when choosing a new car, only 36% know for certain what safety features their car has.
The research focused on a range of safety features that have been mandatory for all new vehicles in Europe since July 2022, including intelligent speed assistance, automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.
The study highlights a worrying lack of knowledge about the latest vehicle technology. This technology has the potential to prevent crashes and save thousands of lives if introduced in all new vehicles.
AXA UK Commercial said technology has the potential to significantly reduce collisions and make our roads safer. It is therefore worrying to see so many people switching off features on their cars that are designed to keep them safe.
Brake said technology is changing, the world is changing, so it is vital that safety is the primary factor in all decision-making about the future of road travel. It is clear that people want themselves, their families and their communities to be safe on the roads. M