The Importance of Understanding Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
If you rent or buy the latest car model, you will most likely notice radar signs that you don’t know what they mean. These may appear like little icons in your rearview mirrors, lane-keep assist, collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, semi-autonomous and autonomous warnings, among others.
Without knowing what these signs from the advanced driver assistance system mean, you can’t use the vehicle effectively. Even worse, misinterpretation of these signs can endanger the driver, the car, and other road users.
But, the demand for video sensors and radar systems is on the rise. Automakers are also racing to include more advanced driver assistance system features. The goal is to automate more functions of their vehicle. That means failing to understand how advanced driver assistance systems work means a person is falling behind.
What Are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems?
Driver assistance systems or ADAS refer to intelligent systems in an automobile that assists drivers in different ways. Vehicles can also use these systems to convey vital information about road blockage or closure, congestion levels, traffic, and even suggest routes for avoiding congestion.
Modern vehicles come with systems that judge the distraction or fatigue level of a human driver and then convey precautionary alerts. They can also assess the performance of the driver and provide suggestions. Some of these systems can even control the vehicle if they suspect a threat and perform tasks like complicated maneuvers and cruise control.
Why Independent Auto Repair Shops Should Understand ADAS
Bumper covers with radars, windshields with smart cameras, composite video signals, and back-up systems’ standard cameras are some of the technology features in modern vehicles. These have been around since the early 1990s. But, automakers are getting smarter. They are incorporating more advanced technologies in their new vehicle models.
Advanced driver assistance systems have improved over the years and lowered injury potential for vehicle drivers. Some vehicles get the airbags ready and pull out the brake pedal before a collision. These are some of the ways the advanced driver assistance system saves passengers during an accident.
Essentially, ADAS is not just about LiDARs, radars, and cameras. It also involves collision avoidance modules and features. And these models can even decide to activate both airbags and apply brakes. And this is where the ADAS technology seems to be going. More cars will come with improved ADAS technology.
What is the Percentage of Cars Comes with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems?
Currently, no industry reports or specifications indicate the percentage of vehicles with ADAS. However, at least 15% of most cars from 2017 or even more have advanced driver assistance systems.
The insurance benefits given to these vehicles, increased marketing, and government-supported safety policies will increase this percentage. Companies like Mazda, Chevrolet, and Kia are marketing their vehicles with ADAS more.
How Technicians Get Training for These Technologies
Conferences offer lists of different classes where technicians learn about ADAS. However, only more critical meetings provide such training. These programs are yet to take off for independent, aftermarket areas of the industry. That’s because automated driver-assist systems have not taken off in this market. What’s more, most technicians don’t have the necessary training and experience to handle ADAS technologies.
In some cases, technicians do not attend these classes because they are minorities. Unfortunately, this can find the industry unprepared. That’s because technicians in some places might be undertrained or ill-equipped. As such, most people that purchase the latest vehicle models may have to go to their manufacturers.
Do Service Advisors Need Training?
Yes. Service advisors need the training to educate customers on ADAS technology. Service advisors’ job is not just about people skills and sales. For instance, you need to know about the furniture you sell to your customers. You should tell your customers how the texture and flooring differs. Service advisors should also tell them the advantages of one furniture piece over the other.
Similarly, service advisors should know about the advanced driver assistance systems of the vehicles they sell. That’s because a service advisor can’t be calling the technician to explain how a car works to a customer every time. Therefore, service advisors should take ADAS classes to enhance their efficiency.
Although a service advisor might not understand every aspect of ADAS the way a technician does, they should understand this technology to a point where they can explain it to customers.
How the Process will Work for Shops that Monitor ADAS Systems Regularly
You have probably heard stories of the police that crackdown on autonomous cars. In some cases, individuals take the passenger seat with nobody driving the vehicle. That means nobody can take control of the vehicle if the ADAS system fails. For this reason, the traffic police have expressed concerns that this technology might be a more severe problem than using the phone while driving.
As people adapt to this technology and culture change, they can abuse the system. Therefore, the industry will have to involve more techs and service advisors. The service advisors will have to apply some consumer education whenever they take a vehicle for service because the dashboard has shown some lights or the adaptive cruise control has stopped working.
That means service advisors will have to be savvier and provide useful information to consumers. They do not have to depend on technicians for everything. Nevertheless, teamwork between the technicians and service advisors will be required going forward. That’s because modern vehicles come with cutting edge advanced driver assistance systems.
