One In Five Drivers Switches Off The Safety Tech Meant To Save Their Lives

https://www.carscoops.com/2026/08/unused-car-features-study/

Carmakers keep loading new cars with driver aids, but a surprising share of owners never turn the fanciest ones on

  • A study found 25.9 percent of car owners don’t use adaptive cruise control.
  • Many car owners also don’t like using augmented reality head-up displays.
  • Just 27.3 percent of car owners regularly change their car’s driving mode.
5 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 21d

How is this 'surprising'? It's distracting crap nobody asked for.

JordanZ@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 20d (2 replies)
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reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 20d

Yeah I want an AB test on whether these actually improve safety in real drivers/conditions. I’m sure they do in the lab. Anti-lock braking systems are another safety feature that I feel like has put me in harm’s way on a rainy day more often than it’s protected me on an icy one.

harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 20d

I rented a newer Camry and the lane assist nearly put me into an accident driving through a construction zone. I had to fight it to stay in my lane.

I turned all of it off once I got home.

The only tech on this list that I've used and enjoyed is the HUD.

My gauge cluster mostly died (only the warning lights still worked) in a previous car and I bought a HUD that just plugged into the OBD 2 port.

It was nice being able to see my speed and RPM without having to look away from the road.

However, while shopping for one, there were plenty that I would consider distracting.

ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 21d (2 replies)

I'm guess I'm officially old. My car doesn't have a single piece of tech listed in this article. I don't even know what an AR HUD in a car would look like or what info it would show.

JordanZ@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 20d (1 reply)
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reallykindasorta@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 20d

This feels very futurey, don’t think I’ve seen it irl!!