Which driver assistance systems are really worthwhile?

Electronic assistance systems are becoming increasingly popular with drivers. They ensure greater safety and comfort in road traffic, but also pose risks. We give you the overview.

Self-driving cars have only been seen in Hollywood films and science fiction books. However, technology is making rapid progress. New vehicle models have already installed various assistance systems that support the driver in individual tasks. This is intended to make driving safer, easier and more environmentally friendly.

But that's just the beginning! In the meantime, driver assistance systems have advanced to the point where they can relieve the driver of a large part of the work. However, only very few people know what the consequences of this development are: According to a study by the Swiss Advisory Centre for Accident Prevention (BfU), only about 10% of all drivers in Switzerland are well versed in driver assistance systems. This is about to change: In this article, we will explain to you what the advantages of the individual systems are, what the legal situation looks like and which investments are really worthwhile.

These assistance systems are standard today

The spread of assistance systems has only just begun. Accordingly, there are still major differences between the individual vehicle classes, price levels and manufacturers at the moment. Nowadays, as mentioned, ABS and electronic stability control are standard. A lane departure warning system, cruise control and a drowsiness monitoring system can now also be found in many new cars. By the way: Even if these things are not installed as standard, you can often buy them optionally or have them retrofitted.

Basically, the more expensive the car, the more assistance systems are likely to be integrated. Current Tesla vehicles, for example, can drive completely independently on the highway thanks to a distance controller, change lanes and park themselves at their destination.

By the way, on AutoScout24 you can filter the different cars in the advanced search for driver assistance systems. So you don't have to laboriously click through the configurations of the different cars.

Assistance systems not only make driving more pleasant, but also safer. The EU has therefore decided that individual driver assistance systems will soon be mandatory for new cars. In addition to reversing cameras and drowsiness detection, lane departure warning and emergency braking assistants will also be mandatory. In total, there are around 30 functions that will soon be missing in every new car.

These requirements will apply to newly designed vehicles from 2022 and to existing models from 2024. In Switzerland, these requirements are not officially mandatory, but manufacturers usually sell the same cars here as in the rest of Europe. In practice, these assistance systems will also become standard in our cars.

This brings us to the question: Do driver assistance systems actually make road traffic safer? Or is it just a gimmick after all?

These are the advantages of driver assistance systems

When car buyers opt for an assistance system, the focus is often on additional comfort: driving becomes more comfortable and you can concentrate on the really important things in traffic. For some motorists, the driving pleasure suffers as a result, others would no longer be on the road without an assistance system. It is therefore difficult to make general statements about the additional driving comfort.

Less tragic, but all the more annoying are the costs incurred by fines and parking damage. With the automatic parking aid, scratches and damage to the bodywork can be almost completely avoided when parking. And traffic sign recognition together with the speed limiter can efficiently save motorists from speed fines.

In a nutshell: The three most important advantages of driver assistance systems

• More driving comfort
• Lower risk of accidents and injuries
• Fewer bodywork damage and insurance claims

What are the risks of driver assistance systems?

However, the assistance systems do not only have positive effects: A study by the Swiss consulting firm EBP has shown that driver assistance systems may even cause more accidents than they prevent. According to the authors, the greatest risk is that drivers rely too much on the assistance functions and do not intervene in time in an emergency. In the USA, there have already been several deaths as a result. In addition, it should not be forgotten that driver assistance systems are not always reliable at the moment. They depend, for example, on light and weather conditions as well as on the current traffic situation.Also very important: If you are involved in an accident because your assistance system has reacted incorrectly, it is still your fault. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has ruled this very clearly. Depending on the situation, a bad distance control or a fault-prone parking aid can cost you bad damage and a high bill. And you can't forward this to the manufacturer. So the more you rely on the assistance systems, the more responsibility you hand over. Particularly piquant: Hackers repeatedly demonstrate how they can gain access to driver assistance systems and manipulate them. However, the additional electronics are not only a safety risk, but also a cost risk: Various sensors are required for the various assistance systems. If some of these sensors break in a harmless bodywork damage, the repair is suddenly much more expensive than it would normally be. Under certain circumstances, the entire assistance system may even have to be replaced.

In a nutshell: The three biggest risks of driver assistance systems

• You are more quickly distracted in traffic
• Accidents caused by faulty assistance systems are not covered by insurance
• Small repairs can become more complex and expensive due to sensors

What you need to look out for when buying a car