Cars are getting smarter. Today’s vehicles can automatically brake to avoid a rear-end collision, keep themselves centred in a lane, warn of hazards in blind spots and even maintain a safe distance from the car ahead.

Collectively known as advanced driver-assistance systems (or ADAS), these features have been shown to reduce crashes, injuries and insurance claims.

But there’s a problem: many drivers don’t want them.

In Australia, one in five motorists with cars equipped with these features have switched at least one of them off. In some countries, the figure is much greater.

These systems help prevent some of the most common and costly crashes on our roads. So why do so many drivers go out of their way to turn them off?

Advanced driver-assistance systems are a range of in-car technologies that help prevent or mitigate crashes.

Some of the most common include:

autonomous emergency braking: brakes automatically if a collision is imminent

lane-keeping assist: nudges the steering to keep you within lane markings

blind-spot monitoring: alerts you if another vehicle is in your blind spot

adaptive cruise control: maintains a set speed while keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

These systems aren’t experimental. They have proven safety benefits.

Data from the United States shows autonomous emergency braking cuts rear-end collisions by 50%. Even forward-collision warning on its own (without automatic braking) reduces these crashes by 27%.

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