If you’re talking about adaptive cruise control or lane departure warning systems to potential customers, they might be nodding their heads in understanding.
Chances are they have no clue what you’re saying.
A new study by the University of Iowa Transportation and Vehicle Safety Research Division found a majority of U.S. drivers have surprisingly little knowledge about potentially life-saving vehicle technologies.
Most of the 2,000 adult U.S. drivers surveyed had heard of or interacted with at least one of nine vehicle safety features studied—but expressed some uncertainty about them.
It’s not just new vehicle safety technologies that has drivers puzzled.
The study reports consumers are uncertain about features that have been standard in American cars for years, including anti-lock braking systems (65 per cent) and tire pressure-monitoring systems (36 per cent).
“As technologies like rear-view cameras and lane departure warning systems advance and become more prevalent in the cars we’re driving there is a tremendous need to improve consumer understanding of these critical safety features,” said Daniel McGehee, director of the Transportation and Vehicle Safety Research Division at the UI Public Policy Center, in a written release.
“The little details about how some of these systems work are really important when we’re talking about safety,” he added.
