Skip to main content

Drivers want semi-autonomous safety features

Blind spot detection and rear-view cameras with park assist were the two features that tied for consumers' most-wanted car safety technology in a recent Edmunds.com survey. Edmunds polled more than 2,000 active site visitors to explore the vehicle safety technologies that most appealed to them for their next car purchase. “The most wanted features, like the blind spot detection, act more like co-pilots for your car,” said Edmunds senior analyst Ivan Drury, “providing drivers with 360 degrees of informati
November 7, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Blind spot detection and rear-view cameras with park assist were the two features that tied for consumers' most-wanted car safety technology in a recent 6843 Edmunds.com survey. Edmunds polled more than 2,000 active site visitors to explore the vehicle safety technologies that most appealed to them for their next car purchase.

“The most wanted features, like the blind spot detection, act more like co-pilots for your car,” said Edmunds senior analyst Ivan Drury, “providing drivers with 360 degrees of information they wouldn't otherwise have.”

In the survey, 89 per cent of people said they wanted their next car to have rear-view cameras with park assist, which is another term for rear back-up sensors. Among those respondents, 61 per cent were willing to pay US$100 to US$500 for the camera and sensors.

Those unwilling to pay for back-up camera technology now only have to wait a couple years. By law, rear-view monitoring technology will be standard on all vehicles by the 2018 model year.

“Safety technology has evolved from features that mitigate the severity of an accident to features that can prevent an accident, bringing us closer to fully autonomous driving,” Drury said.

Blind spot detection tied for the most-wanted feature: 89 per cent want it and 56 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to pay US$100 to US$500 for it.

Automatic high beams were the least-valued technology, with 65 per cent of respondents expressing interest in the technology, but not a willingness to pay extra for it.

Adaptive headlights were a popular feature, with 80 per cent of respondents wanting the technology on their next vehicle, but 95 per cent of them unwilling to pay more than US$500 for it.

Front crash prevention technology, which includes forward collision warning and autonomous braking systems, took third place among the most wanted features in the survey, with 79 per cent of people wanting it in their next vehicle. Among those who wanted front crash prevention, 55 per cent were willing to pay up to US$500 and an additional 16 per cent would pay up to US$1,000.

“Consumers told us they both wanted and were willing to pay for front crash prevention, which leads us to believe that drivers are receptive to some self-driving elements of the latest safety technologies,” said Drury.

Related Content

  • Fleet managers ‘likely to opt for brands that offer predictive technologies’
    December 18, 2013
    Fleet management systems (FMS) have an established presence in France, Germany, UK, Italy and Benelux, with 70 per cent of fleet managers claiming familiarity with FMS – 37 per cent are already using it and 33 per cent are testing it. In general, fleet owners display a positive attitude toward FMS, and 35 percent of respondents in a recent Frost & Sullivan survey consider it an absolute necessity. Large fleets are keener to adopt these solutions than small and medium fleets, clearly indicating a lack of awa
  • Johnson Controls says US consumers are interested in start-stop systems
    May 18, 2012
    New consumer research conducted by Johnson Controls claims that 97 per cent of Americans are ready for new start-stop technology that improves the fuel economy of their vehicle. The research was conducted to gain understanding of how consumers view fuel-saving power train technologies based on attributes such as purchase price, fuel economy, annual fuel cost and performance. Focus groups across US major metropolitan areas, along with 1,200 survey respondents, provided feedback on efficient vehicle technolog
  • Half of passengers ‘would pay for better technology’
    August 2, 2013
    David Crawford considers the finding of a passenger attitude survey in nine cities worldwide. Three quarters of regular users of public transport in nine capital and other major cities worldwide believe that electronic ticketing would make travel easier; while an overwhelming 92% would welcome paperless travel in any form, according to a recent consumer survey from global management consultants Accenture. Of the 4,500 urban travellers aged over-18 who were quizzed, some 90% routinely used public transport.
  • Ignoring deadly defects in autonomous cars serves no one, say auto safety advocates
    July 29, 2016
    The US Center for Auto Safety, Consumer Watchdog and former National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) administrator Joan Claybrook have told NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind that "you inexcusably are rushing full speed ahead" to promote the deployment of self-driving robot car technology instead of developing adequate safety standards "crucial to ensuring imperfect technologies do not kill people by being introduced into vehicles before the technology matures." In a letter to Rosekind in response