Drivers pay dearly for technology, but prefer to turn off driving assistants

The technology embedded in modern vehicles has evolved rapidly, but the hard work of automakers is not always 100% taken advantage of by those behind the wheel. According to a recent survey conducted by Censuswide in Great Britain and echoed by specialized vehicles, a significant portion of drivers simply choose to turn off electronic safety assistants or even learn to use them on a daily basis.

The study points out that more than a quarter of drivers never activate adaptive cruise control, while about 20% ignore fundamental systems such as automatic emergency braking, in addition, almost 18% avoid lane keeping assistant. The main reason for this rejection is the feeling that automatic alerts and interventions occur abruptly, generating more nuisances than real solutions during urban and highway driving.

Other features that usually make the final value of cars more expensive also suffer from lack of use, more than 17% of owners who have a head-up display (data projector on the windshield) never activate the equipment, and a considerable portion admits to not knowing how it works. The driving mode selector follows the same trend of low popularity in everyday life.

On the other hand, connectivity and convenience features continue to lead the absolute preference in new cars. The Bluetooth protocol for smartphone integration, the reversing camera and navigation centers lead the top of the list of most valued items and used continuously by drivers, showing that connected simplicity still pleases much more than complex autonomous systems, and that sometimes they end up hindering more than helping.