DETROIT– Most electronic systems that take over certain driving tasks for humans do not sufficiently ensure that drivers pay attention, and do not provide strong warnings or take other actions to get drivers to behave, according to an insurance industry study published on Tuesday.
Only one of fourteen partially automated systems tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performed well enough to receive an overall ‘acceptable’ rating. Two others were rated ‘marginal’, while the rest were rated ‘poor’. No system received the highest rating of ‘good’.
“Most do not include adequate measures to prevent abuse and prevent drivers from losing focus on what is happening on the road,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
The institute, Harkey said, came up with the new ratings to push automakers to follow standards, including how well they monitor drivers and how quickly the cars issue warnings if drivers aren’t paying attention.
It also says it is trying to fill a “regulatory gap” left by inaction on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s systems. Harkey said the agency needs to do more to set standards for the systems, which cannot control vehicles themselves.
A message was left seeking comment from the agency.
IIHS safety ratings are closely followed by automakers, who often make changes to comply.
The 14 systems, which include several variants from individual automakers, are among the most advanced on the market today, Harkey said.
Only one of the systems, Teammate in the Lexus LS, received a satisfactory rating. General Motors’ Super Cruise in the GMC Sierra and Nissan’s Pro-Pilot Assist with Navi-Link in the Ariya electric car were rated marginal.
Other systems from Nissan, Tesla, BMW, Ford, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo were rated poorly.
Harkey said the driving systems initially were a combination of safety features such as automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, lane centering and blind spot detection. But now they give drivers a chance to not pay attention for a while, increasing safety risks, he said in an interview.
“That’s why the focus is on how we ensure that the driver remains focused on the driving task,” says Harkey.
Some automakers, he said, are marketing the systems in a way that could fool drivers into thinking they are fully autonomous. “The one thing we don’t want is for drivers to misinterpret what these things can or can’t do,” he said.
The systems, IIHS said, should be able to tell if a driver’s head or eyes are not on the road, and if his hands are on the steering wheel or ready to grip the wheel if necessary.
The institute also said that if a system does not see a driver’s eyes on the road or hands are not ready to steer, there should be audible and visual warnings within 10 seconds. Within 20 seconds, the system should add a third warning or initiate an emergency procedure to slow the vehicle, the institute said.
Automakers must also ensure that safety systems such as seat belts and automatic emergency braking are activated before the propulsion systems can be used, the report said.
None of the 14 systems met all driver monitoring requirements during the test, but Ford’s came close, the group said.
Lexus’ Teammate system and GM’s Super Cruise met the warning requirements, while Nissan’s and Tesla’s systems were close.
Harkey said automakers are already responding to the tests and preparing changes, many of which can be accomplished with software updates.
Toyota, which makes Lexus vehicles, said it considers IIHS ratings when setting safety standards, while GM said the IIHS ratings are important. Nissan said it will work with the institute.
Mercedes said the company takes the findings seriously and trusts the system to work with the driver.
BMW said it respects IIHS’s efforts but differs philosophically on how systems should monitor drivers. One BMW system evaluated by IIHS is not intended to require drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel and only considers input from steering wheel sensors. BMW tests found no clear benefit from turning on the camera for driver monitoring, the company said. Another, more advanced system aimed at letting drivers take their hands off the wheel uses a camera to monitor drivers, the company said.
Ford said its Blue Cruise system monitors and repeatedly warns drivers. The company said it disagrees with IIHS’s findings but will consider the feedback in updates.
Other automakers did not immediately comment.