There are three categories in the Monitor Smart Mobility 2025:

1. Vehicle automation

2. Traffic management and information services

3. Mobility services

Within the ADAS Alliance's focus area, the first category is particularly relevant: vehicle automation. This chapter of the monitor focuses on trends in the number of mandatory and non-mandatory driver assistance systems in cars. The level of knowledge, satisfaction, traffic safety effects and, in particular, distraction from driver assistance systems are also analysed here.

Striking insights into vehicle automation

1. Offer

The penetration (growth) of driver assistance systems in the vehicle fleet will now be faster, partly due to the European obligation of a number of driver assistance systems. The penetration rate also depends on the number of new sales (sales figures are now rising again, after a decline in 2021 and 2022), the share of electric vehicles (35% of new sales in 2024), import/export and a growing average vehicle age (11.7 years in 2024).

2024). On average, there will be 9 driver assistance systems in new passenger cars sold in 2024 (8.3 in 2023). The number of driver assistance systems in vans has increased from 2.7 (2023) to 5.0 (2024) per vehicle. Trucks have the highest number of driver assistance systems per vehicle, namely 14.6 (10.9 in 2023).

2. Use

Most car users know which driver assistance systems are in their vehicle. However, around 30% think they do not have a system when they do - just over 30% think they do have a system when they do not. These percentages are comparable to previous years. The increase in the number of systems, the fact that vehicle manufacturers do not always share information about the driver assistance systems present and the (sometimes confusing) naming play a role in this. Knowledge about driver assistance systems and the correct behaviour when using them has increased slightly compared to 2023. This applies to people with their own car and to people who rent or borrow a car. Many users expect systems to perform the same always and everywhere, while there are indeed limitations with regard to, for example, the road situation, weather conditions and speeds.

3.     Effect

The safety effects of vehicles equipped with driver assistance systems are predominantly positive. There are relatively fewer traffic accidents caused by vehicles with driver assistance systems. Systems such as ACC and CC, which maintain speed, do increase the chance of traffic accidents. Combined use of driver assistance systems can, however, reduce the chance of traffic accidents. In addition, the use of ACC can lead to longer headway times, more powerful braking and slower acceleration, which has a negative effect on the flow of traffic.

4. Costs

The costs of vehicle automation are difficult for the consumer to determine. Increasingly, driver assistance systems are built in as standard or offered in packages, making them difficult to separate from the purchase price. Package prices of driver assistance systems vary between 1% and 5% of the purchase price. The increasing complexity of vehicle automation in particular has an impact on the costs of repair and the insurance premium. It is not clear to what extent this is compensated by a lower risk of accidents.

5. The share of driver assistance systems in the passenger car fleet

The percentage of vehicles equipped with certain driver assistance systems continues to grow annually by a maximum of approximately 4%. We see this in both new sales and in the total fleet. Approximately 62% of all passenger cars now have cruise control, 41% a speed limiter and 33% an autonomous emergency braking system. It is expected that the mandatory presence of certain driver assistance systems in new cars from July 2024 will lead to further growth of driver assistance systems in the fleet.