It is still far from clear which future opportunities are certain and which are still evolving, said some executives at last week’s exposition. Advanced safety is a hot field for many companies, but the technologies are still changing.
Many SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems are being primarily used to make driving more convenient and less fatiguing for drivers rather than to enhance safety, a panel of automotive executives said.
“Drivers are not using it because they want to drive more safely,” Dominik Schuster, BMW Group vice president of vehicle safety, said during one panel discussion. “They’re using it because it’s more convenient.”
That has a bearing on how systems will be designed and marketed in the next few years, Schuster and the panelists said.
Level 2 systems are those that provide steering and brake or acceleration support to a driver, such as features that provide both adaptive cruise control and lane centering.
Nick Sitarski, vice president for Toyota Motor North America R&D’s integrated vehicle systems division, said it remains unclear whether Level 2 systems as a whole provide additional safety benefits, even if some capabilities within those systems do appear to provide some extra safety.
“Level 2 systems are designed for convenience, reduced driver fatigue and getting you to your destination more rested,” he said. “But components that make up the Level 2 system do provide some safety benefit.”
But, he added: “The jury is still out on what the result of that looks like when you combine everything.”
