Only a Small Majority Has Confidence in Assistance Systems

According to a recent TÜV survey, only a small majority of German citizens trust the reliability of assistance systems. A clear majority would like to see independent testing of the systems. 

Emergency brake assist, lane departure warning and reversing assist: Driver assistance systems are increasingly becoming standard in modern cars. From July 7, 2024, these and other assistance systems must be installed in all newly registered cars. Almost one in two Germans (46 %) have had practical experience with driver assistance systems, according to an Ipsos survey of 2,500 people aged 16 and over conducted on behalf of the TÜV association. However, a narrow majority of 53 % have not yet used any driver assistance systems.

Acceptance Depends on Reliability and Ease of Use

This could be due to the fact that driver assistance systems cause uncertainty among drivers. According to the survey, a good one in two respondents had a high or very high level of confidence in the reliability of these systems (51 %). On the other hand, 43 % had little or no confidence in the reliability of assistance systems in all traffic situations. A further 6 % were undecided. Almost half of those surveyed (47 %) felt irritated by the systems' autonomous reactions. Around the same number (49 %) would take a long time to familiarize themselves with all the functions and 39 % would find the operation too complicated.

According to the results of the survey, however, the positive effects outweigh the negative ones. Almost three quarters of respondents were of the opinion that assistance systems make driving easier (72 %). Almost two thirds were of the opinion that the systems improve the safety of other road users (65 %). And 56 % would also feel safer personally as a result of driver assistance systems. When asked about the most important safety aspects of automated driving functions, flawless functionality came first. This was followed by the requirement that the systems must not distract the driver. In third place was the need for driver assistance systems to be protected against hacker attacks, followed by the requirement that assistance systems should be barrier-free and self-explanatory.

Desire for Independent Testing

In order to ensure the safety of automated driving functions, 88 % of respondents consider it necessary for the function and effectiveness of the systems to be checked by independent bodies. In this group, two thirds would be in favor of assistance systems being checked as part of the general inspection (67 %). A good one in two would be of the opinion that the systems should be checked after an accident repair (53 %) and 42 % would like to see such checks carried out after modifications to the vehicle.

This is a partly automated translation of this German article.