Freeway drivers should keep their hands properly placed on a vehicle’s steering wheel even when an automatic driver support system is being used, the Freeway Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau called for drivers to be vigilant following a significant rise in collisions caused by an over-reliance on automatic driver support systems, including lane-departure warnings, cruise control, automatic braking and blind-spot detection.
The bureau recorded 70 accidents between January and last month in which its construction vehicles or truck-mounted attenuators were struck from behind by vehicles on freeways.
Photo: Reuters
Thirty-one of the collisions were caused by motor vehicles that were equipped with such systems.
In June, a Tesla car operating at high speed slammed into an overturned cargo truck that had come to a stop on a freeway’s inner lanes, and the driver believed that the car would automatically come to a full stop before hitting the truck, the bureau said.
“We have studied these accidents and found that many of them were caused by vehicles that were purchased within the past two years. Many drivers had been relying too much on the automatic driver support systems and stopped paying close attention to road situations ahead, leaving them little time to react,” Bureau Director General Chao Hsin-hua (趙興華) said.
Bureau Traffic Management Division Chief Chuo Ming-chun (卓明君) said that these systems might not accurately detect situations ahead, and would not react accordingly if a vehicle in front is stationary, makes a sudden turn, or does not stay properly within its lane.
Additionally, automatic driver support systems might not function properly if a vehicle is driving in inclement weather, or through sections with curves or steep inclines, and could also have accuracy problems when responding to motorcycles, pedestrians or vehicles that “cut in” to traffic suddenly, Chou said.
“Drivers should not rely too much on the systems and should still place their hands on steering wheels. They must continue to pay attention to road situations and be prepared to stop when necessary,” Chou said.
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