ADAS: A Beginner's Guide

What is ADAS?

ADAS or Advanced Driver Assistance System refers to a suite of features that are designed to improve the safety and convenience of driving a vehicle. So how does ADAS work in a car? ADAS technology uses sensors, cameras, and radar among other systems to monitor the environment around a vehicle. Based on this, ADAS provides drivers with real-time information and alerts to help them avoid collisions and other potential hazards. Depending on the level of the ADAS tech, the system can either warn the driver by alerting through sound, vibration, and signals on the display or could take complete control of the vehicle to help in preventing any mishaps.

Levels of ADAS:

ADAS technology has up to five levels and mentioned below are its functionality on each level:

Level 0 — no automation: The driver is solely responsible for all aspects of driving, and there are no ADAS features in any form in the car.

Level 1 — driver assistance: The vehicle has some ADAS features that assist the driver, such as lane departure warning or adaptive cruise control. However, the driver is still responsible for most aspects of driving as the assistance is limited to warnings and signals.

Level 2 — partial automation: The vehicle has two or more ADAS features that can work together to assist the driver in certain situations, such as steering and acceleration. However, the driver must still be alert and ready to take control of the vehicle at any time.

Level 3 — conditional automation: The vehicle, along with ADAS, can take over some driving tasks in certain conditions, such as highway driving. Although the driver is still required to be alert and ready to take control if necessary, they can take their hands off the wheel when the system is engaged.

Level 4 — high automation: The vehicle can drive itself in most situations, and the driver is only required to take over in exceptional circumstances.

Level 5 — full automation: The vehicle is capable of driving itself in all situations, and there is no need for a driver to be present.

It's important to note that currently no Level 5 vehicles are available for consumer use, and most cars on Indian roads today are equipped with Level 1 or Level 2 ADAS tech.

Features of ADAS:

There are many features that are part of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, and these can vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle and the level of this safety tech it comes equipped with. However, some common ADAS features include:

Lane Departure Warning (LDW): This feature alerts the driver when the car starts to drift out of its lane.

Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM): It detects other vehicles in the driver's blind spot and alerts the driver when it is not safe to change lanes.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): ACC uses sensors to detect the speed and distance of the vehicles in front of the road and adjusts the speed of the car accordingly.

Forward Collision Warning (FCW): It detects when the car is getting too close to the vehicle in front and alerts the driver to brake or take action.

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): AEB uses sensors to detect when a collision is imminent and automatically applies the brakes to avoid or mitigate the impact.

Traffic Sign Recognition: This feature uses cameras to recognise and display traffic signs, such as speed limits among others.

High Beam Assist: This is a very useful feature, especially on highways and at night hours. The vehicle, with the help of sensors and a camera, automatically switches to low beam once it detects the on-coming traffic from the opposite side of the road, and switches back to high beam accordingly.

Rear Cross Traffic Alert: This feature is helpful while parking, it alerts the driver if it detects movement at the rear of the car with the help of sensors and a camera.

Driver Drowsiness Detection: This feature monitors the driver's behaviour and alerts them if they show signs of drowsiness or lack of focus.

How practical is ADAS on Indian roads?

ADAS can be quite practical for India, but some factors need to be considered. First, the infrastructure in India may not be as advanced as in some other countries, and that could affect the performance and even reliability of ADAS. For example, road markings and signs may not be as clear or consistent, which could affect the accuracy of the lane departure warning system.

Second, India has a high population density and a complex mix of different types of vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and larger vehicles. This could make it more challenging for ADAS tech to detect potential hazards and respond appropriately.

Finally, the cost is an important factor to consider. ADAS tech can add to the cost of cars, and it may be difficult for many consumers in India to afford these features.

Despite these challenges, ADAS technology has immense scope to improve road safety in India. For instance, features such as automatic emergency braking and collision avoidance could help reduce the number of accidents caused by human error. We may see more widespread adoption of ADAS in India in the future as this technology improves and becomes more affordable.

ADAS cars in India:

The adoption of ADAS features in cars in India is still in its early phase. However, some car manufacturers have started introducing ADAS features in their Indian models.

Here is a list of cars which gets the ADAS suite baked into their safety features list in India: