Advanced vehicle technology is becoming increasingly common on UK roads, but new research highlights that automated driving features continue to present both opportunities and challenges.

AAA Automotive Engineers evaluated five passenger vehicles fitted with low-speed Active Driving Assistance (ADA) systems, also known as Traffic Jam Assistance, in heavy traffic conditions. The study compared both hands-on and hands-off ADA performance and found that notable driving events occurred every nine minutes on average. The most common issues were cut-ins and poor lane centring.

“Even though ADA systems can help out in certain driving situations, they’re not a replacement for paying attention behind the wheel,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering research. “What we’ve found is that drivers really need to stay alert and cut down on distractions, especially when things get busy on the road.”

Across the evaluation, notable events were recorded every 3.2 miles, or roughly every 9.1 minutes. AAA defined a “notable” event as any situation in which the ADA system failed to handle the conditions adequately, requiring the researcher to step in.

Cut-ins – when another vehicle enters directly into the lane ahead – were the most frequent problem, prompting intervention 90% of the time. Inadequate Lane Centring Assistance was the second most common issue, where systems failed to keep vehicles properly aligned within the lane despite the use of cameras and sensors.

The study also found differences between hands-on and hands-off ADA systems. Hands-on systems, which require the driver to keep their hands on the wheel while sensors monitor the environment, demanded intervention three times more frequently than hands-off systems. Hands-off systems allow drivers to remove their hands in most conditions, but still required re-engagement approximately once every 5 miles, or every 15.3 minutes, to maintain safe operation.

AAA said the results underscore the importance of driver awareness and control when using ADA features. The organisation urged drivers to remain in control, cut distractions such as smartphones, and understand how their system operates through the vehicle manual. Selecting an appropriate following distance was also highlighted as a key safety measure.

On the development side, AAA encouraged automakers to improve ADA performance, particularly in handling cut-ins and lane-centring. The group also called for clearer alerts when driver assistance features deactivate, to ensure drivers are fully aware of when systems are engaged.

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The research builds on AAA’s previous work, including its Clearing the Confusion recommendations for universal terminology around advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features.

Testing was conducted with the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center. Vehicles were driven on limited-access highways over designated daytime routes, with each vehicle covering an average of 342 miles across 16.2 hours. GPS data, video, and audio were continuously recorded to capture traffic conditions, vehicle behaviour, and driver observations.

According to AAA, the aim of the project was to evaluate ADA performance in real-world, low-speed, high-traffic conditions, with a view to supporting safer adoption of advanced driver assistance technology.