According to a recent test conducted by Consumer Reports, Tesla has fallen behind its rivals in the field of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The organization evaluated 12 ADAS in five categories, with Ford’s BlueCruise coming out as the top performer, followed by GM’s Super Cruise, Mercedes-Benz’s Driver Assistance, and BMW’s Driving Assistance Professional. Tesla’s Autopilot came in at the bottom of the list.
Consumer Reports evaluated the systems based on capability and performance, keeping the driver engaged, ease of use, unresponsive driver, and how clear it is when the system is safe to use. Ford’s BlueCruise scored well in all categories, earning nine out of ten in “capability and performance,” “keeping driver engaged,” and “clear when safe to use.” GM’s Super Cruise struggled in the “ease of use” category, scoring just a four, but managed to beat Ford’s system in the “unresponsive driver” test.
The American manufacturers were the only ones that performed well in the “clear when safe to use” category, with no other brand scoring above a four. Tesla, for example, scored just three in the category, which was fairly representative of its overall performance. Autopilot received middling and poor scores in all categories except for “capabilities and performance,” in which it got a nine.
Consumer Reports points out that the more capable a system is, the more potential there is to get a driver in trouble. The organization found that Tesla’s adaptive cruise control function could stop at a red light and start again after an unlimited amount of time, which may lead to a dangerous situation if the driver is not paying attention.
“Automakers also need to realize that the more capable they develop a system in terms of driver assistance, the greater the chances are that the driver might tune out and try to leave the driving to the car,” said Kelly Funkhouser, Consumer Report’s manager of vehicle technology. “That’s why camera-based, direct driver monitoring is so critical, and should be an essential tool of any good active driving assistance system going forward.”
It is important to remind buyers that there are no self-driving cars for sale today and that, at best, these systems make driving a collaborative process always leaving the driver with responsibilities behind the wheel.
