ADAS: 14 Safety Technologies Found in Modern Vehicles

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, is a general term for safety features found in modern vehicles. Using sophisticated technology, our vehicles can think for us now and act when we’re unable. In this blog, we’re going to discuss fourteen ADAS features that are designed to improve vehicle safety and convenience.

What Is ADAS?

First, let’s review why ADAS technology was implemented. The goal of all the systems we’ve listed below is to keep you, the driver, and your passengers safe from human error. About ninety-four percent of all road collisions are caused by human mistakes. In an effort to save lives, engineers designed the fourteen following systems. 

Passive Systems

The first group of ADAS technology is called passive because the driver must take action to avoid collision. 

1. ABS - Anti-Lock Braking Systems

ABS activates when the emergency brake is used. It’s useful when the primary brakes fail or if slick weather causes skidding. 

2. ESC - Electronic Stability Control 

ESC will step in if the driver is over or understeering, which can happen during precarious weather conditions. 

3. TCS - Traction Control System

TCS helps maintain traction between the vehicle and the road by working alongside both ABS and ESC. It is especially useful when navigating curves and sharp turns.

4. LDW - Lane Departure Warning 

LDW alerts the driver if the vehicle begins to drift into another lane. This can occur for various reasons, such as driving while fatigued or reaching down to retrieve something that has fallen to the floor.

5. FCW - Forward Collision Warning

FCW will alert when someone or something is in front of the vehicle that the driver might not see. 

6. Back-Up Camera

This technology helps drivers back out of driveways and parking spots by enabling them to see what is directly behind them. 

7. Blind Spot Detection

Blind spots are a human thing. This detection technology makes the human blind spot obsolete by alerting the driver when something is in their blind spot. 

8. Parking Assistance

Parallel parking is stressful, so engineers designed parking assistance to help us park and relieve our stress. 

Active ADAS Systems

These systems fall into the category of active because the vehicle will take action when the driver doesn’t. 

9. Automatic Emergency Braking

Automatic Emergency Braking will activate when the system detects an object in front of the vehicle and the driver isn’t hitting the brakes. This system will apply the brakes when the driver is unresponsive. 

10. Emergency Steering

Emergency Steering will move the vehicle out of the way of impending danger if the driver doesn’t do it themselves. 

11. Adaptive Cruise Control

This type of cruise control will speed up and slow down to keep up with the flow of traffic while the driver takes their foot off the brake and gas. 

12. Lane Keeping Assist and Lane-Centering

When the driver swerves into the next lane and doesn’t react to prompts to steer back, this system will steer the car back into the correct lane and keep it centered there. 

13. Traffic Jam Assist

This system is ideal for drivers who frequently navigate stop-and-go traffic. Traffic Jam Assist uses Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Assist to help the vehicle maintain a safe following distance, regulate acceleration and braking, and stay centered in its lane.

14. Self-Parking

For drivers who are simply afraid of parking, this system will do all the work for you. It’ll even get you into those tricky parallel spots. 

Do New Windshields with ADAS Require Calibration?

Yes. When you replace your windshield, if there is an ADAS technology embedded into the new glass you will need a calibration. Without ADAS calibration, your systems will not work correctly, which means you and your passengers are less safe. Windshield calibration doesn’t take very long and you’ll be happy to have it when the need for one of those ADAS systems arises. 

Do You Need a Windshield Replacement in the Amarillo, TX Area?

If you need a windshield replacement and live in Amarillo, Floydada, Lubbock, Abernathy, or surrounding areas contact us at AA&A Windshield & Glass. We’re here to give you an instant quote and have payment options for those who apply. With nearly forty years of experience providing auto glass services, our technicians at AA&A are the ADAS calibration experts you can trust when replacing your windshield.