Driver assist technologies are the next hot item for car buyers

Driver assist technologies are the next hot item for car buyers

More than six in ten drivers would like to get a driver assist technology the next time they buy a vehicle, according to a poll of 5,000 consumers by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

More than 90 percent of crashes involve driver error of some kind, so automakers created a range of driver assist systems that aid the driver for brief periods to help avoid an accident, says Mitch Bainwol, president and CEO of the Alliance.

There are three types of driver assists: warning and alert systems that show a visual warning, sound an alarm or vibrate the steering wheel to alert the driver; active controls, such as electronic stability control that activates faster than a driver could act, that manage vehicle systems for fractions of seconds in emergencies; and controls and vision aids, such as integrated in-vehicle telematics systems, cameras or night vision.

Other results from the poll:

Nearly two-thirds say erratic drivers on the road are their biggest driving concerns.

More than half said there was a time in the past month when another driver cut in front of them, forcing them to slam on their brakes.

When asked what driving situation is most challenging, respondents gave as their top answers – cars cutting in front of them, stop-and-go traffic, crowded highways, and pedestrians, motorcycles and bikes.

The parking situations listed as most challenging were parallel parking, backing in or out of parking spots, pedestrians in parking lots and getting too close to parking lot ramp walls or other structures.