Driver assistance systems in an overview

Today there are many electronic assistants for drivers, from parking assistants to lane change assistants. We show the range of systems available and how they work.

Driver assistance systems help to prevent accidents. Photo: Scania

More and more drivers count on driver assistance systems. At the top of the popularity ratings are parking assistants, emergency brake assistants, nighttime assistants and lane departure warning systems. According to Bosch 62 percent of all newly registered cars are equipped with parking assistants, 38 percent have an emergency brake assistant. In 2016 a total of 37 percent of all newly registered cars were equipped with a nighttime assistant. Lane change assistants and lane departure warning systems are integrated in 19 percent of all cars – according to Bosch twice as many as in 2015. It is increasingly recognized that these systems greatly improve the safety while driving. The German Road Safety Council (DVR) even estimates that every second road accident can be prevented by driver assistance systems.

Assistance Systems, Photo: DEKRA, Hersteller

Learn about the range of products

Sandra Demuth of DVR recommends to car buyers to get informed about the range of driver assistance systems available: “When configuring your dream car, remember the safety aspects. You will be surprised how cheap a combination of different advanced driver assistance systems is in comparison to other extras, e.g. aluminium wheels.“ Usually, the following systems are available, depending on the car manufacturer and the model (videos in German).

Here you can find the electronic assistants explained in videos (source DVR):

Emergency brake assistant

The system detects driving and standing vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and decelerates the car automatically. According to the accident research of the insurance companies, the use of emergency brake assistants could reduce the number of car accidents by 43 per cent:

Adaptive cruise control

The system cruises at a set speed or adapts the speed to the actual traffic situation by automatic deceleration, braking or acceleration:

Lane change assistant

With the help of environment sensors the system monitors the area besides and behind the car. When the driver indicates although there is another car on the neighbouring lane, the system warns him with optical and/or acoustic signals:

Lane departure warning system

The system detects road markings. If the car gets too close to the line, either the steering wheel starts to vibrate or the assistant counter-steers. This depends on the car model:

Parking assistant

Via ultrasonic sensors, the system searches for a fitting parking lot. When it finds a suitable space the system calculates the path and takes over the steering:

Intelligent light control

The system manages dipped and full beam automatically and thus allows the optimal view in the dark without dazzling the oncoming traffic:

Automatic recognition of traffic signs

A camera behind the interior mirror detects traffic signs at the roadside. They get faded in the tachometer or in the car display:

Driver fatigue detector

The steering behaviour of the driver is constantly analysed and matched with data like driving speed, time of day and indicating behaviour. The individual degree of fatigue is calculated from this data. If the behaviour of the driver shows signs of fatigue, an optical, acoustic or haptic feedback is triggered and followed by the recommendation to take a break:

Nighttime assistant

The system supports the driver at nighttime. An infrared camera monitors the street and shows the scene in front of the car on a display. People and animals are well contrasted against the Background.