Driver Assistance Systems in 2020

Image by Andy Devine from Pixabay

Cars these days are becoming more and more high-tech, there's no question about it. Even though Malaysia doesn't have flying cars in 2020 yet, we already have cars with features more advanced than our grandparents could've ever imagined. This isn't just true for imported cars either. Even locally-made Malaysian vehicles are also becoming increasingly high-tech. The automotive industry has truly improved by leaps and bounds over the past few years.

One category of high-tech features seen in modern cars is explicitly designed to make the driver's lives easier. Car manufacturers might use slightly different terms in their marketing, but generally, they're known as 'Driver Assistance Systems' or 'Driver Assistance Technologies'. No matter what label they use, automotive companies these days use their driver assistance systems as ways to compete with each other for the customer's attention.

Each of these systems focuses on one particular aspect of driving. For example, some systems help drivers with cruise control, parking, or even navigation. 

In this guide, we'll briefly explore five types of driver assistance systems. These are systems that help with navigation, cruise control, collision avoidance, parking, and the drivers themselves.

Let's see what they have to offer to drivers like you and me.

Navigation Systems

Firstly, let's look at one of the most classical, most widely-used driver assistance systems: navigation systems. Once upon a time, navigation systems were a luxury, a feature only found on premium models. These days, the systems are considered a standard feature, either in our cars or on our phones. 

For many modern vehicles, navigation systems come built-in with the car as a standard feature. If those aren't good enough, after-market navigation systems can also be purchased in stores and online to be fitted in your car. With lots of different brands competing on the market, drivers today are spoilt for choice!

Navigation systems work by collecting data from navigation satellites. With this data, the system can then highlight the most efficient route to get you to your destination.

Modern navigation systems are much more dynamic. Not only do these systems find you the shortest route, but they also analyze real-time traffic conditions. In doing this, the system can then help you avoid getting stuck in traffic jams by redirecting you to more efficient routes.

Adaptive Cruise Control 

Cruise control is not a new feature in cars. As a matter of fact, modern forms of cruise control used in vehicles go as far back as 1958. Cruise control is basically a system that sets and maintains the speed of a moving car. This helps drivers by keeping the vehicle moving at a constant speed without having to press the accelerator the whole time. However, until the driver makes a change, the car will continue moving at the speed that has been set. This is dangerous because those speeds will be maintained even if there's a danger ahead.

That's why adaptive cruise control is a gamechanger. This modern form of cruise control can change the car's speed automatically to keep it safe. These days, adaptive cruise control also includes automatic braking and/or the ability to increase and decrease the car's speed as needed. 

Thanks to these improvements, the cruise control system helps the driver to avoid collisions. For example, if traffic starts to slow down, the car will adjust accordingly. Even more important, if the vehicle in front suddenly comes to a stop, this system will automatically bring the car to a safe stop. 

Pre-Collision Systems

Adaptive Cruise Control systems are also closely related to what's known as Pre-Collision Systems. These systems are designed to actively collect data and intervene to help drivers avoid a car crash. By using sensors and an onboard computer, these systems will detect any immediate dangers. If the car in front slows down dramatically, or if another vehicle crosses over the lane divider, these systems will sound a warning to the driver and slow the car down.

Pre-Collision Systems fill in the gap when drivers are distracted or respond too slowly to dangers. In doing so, it keeps the car and its occupants much safer on the road.

Automatic Parking

Much like any other driver assistance system, automatic parking systems can range in how autonomous they are. Some systems are simple, and help the driver enter a parking spot safely. These more passive systems use cameras and displays to provide drivers with data so that they can park with ease.

As cars become increasingly smart and autonomous, so do these parking systems. At the push of a button, some vehicles can park themselves with zero input from the driver.

Whether you're a newbie driver or an expert, a system like this could take a lot of stress off your mind and help you get into those difficult parking spaces.

Driver Drowsiness Systems

On Malaysian roads and highways, one of the biggest dangers comes when drivers get fatigued or sleepy. When drivers start to get drowsy, the best thing to do is to stop somewhere safe and take a break or freshen up. Unfortunately, some drivers get too tired and even fall asleep behind the wheel, leading to a collision.

Driver Drowsiness Systems are designed to prevent this from happening. Depending on the brand, these systems tend to monitor a combination of different things. If it detects that a driver is getting sleepy, it sounds an alarm to wake the driver back up.

For the most part, the systems monitor the driver's behaviour. For example, some systems monitor the movements of the steering wheel. So, if the steering wheel seems to be moving in one direction without stopping, the system may interpret that as a sleepy or distracted driver.

Additionally, these systems may also monitor the drivers themselves. By tracking the driver's eyes and face using cameras, the system can detect when a driver is falling asleep or losing focus.

Although these are less common, some systems take it a step further and monitor the driver's physiology. This means that the system uses sensors to monitor the driver's brain activity, muscle activity, heart rate and other indicators.

Externally, these systems might also monitor where the car is within its lane on the road.

The Importance of Basic Driving Skills

No matter how smart or high-tech our cars become, we must never neglect our basic driving skills. Yes, it's quite cool and convenient to have a vehicle that can do everything by itself. However, the reality of the situation is that drivers will, at some point, need to intervene and operate the vehicle themselves.

Driver assistance systems are meant to do just that. They are designed to assist our ability to drive, but they are not intended to replace it.

After all, if we leave everything to our cars to do for themselves, wouldn't that just take all the spirit, all the enjoyment out of driving a car in the first place?