MG3 NCAP TEST CRITICAL SAFETY FAILURE.

[ProfJohnL]

Drivers may have previous managed without all of these "aides" but it has allowed many thousands of incidents where damage or injury or even death has occured.

Our roads have become ever more busy, and most of us have witnessed declining driving standards both factors have been driving up incident rates for many years.

When I asked Google ;
"Has the introduction driver assistance aids in cars reduced the number of incidents?"

The response came back

"AI Overview

Yes, studies consistently show that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have
significantly reduced the number of certain types of car incidents, though the overall impact depends on system type and driver behavior.

Proven Reductions by System Type
Specific ADAS features have shown considerable effectiveness:

• Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) has a major impact, with studies showing it cuts rear-end collisions by as much as 50% and reduces pedestrian crashes by 14-27%.
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW) systems, even without automatic braking, have been found to reduce rear-end crashes by 27%.
• Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) systems have been shown to reduce lane-departure crashes by approximately 19% and all crashes by 11% respectively.
• Blind Spot Monitoring systems have reduced lane-change and merging collisions by around 3.5-9%.
• Reverse Automatic Braking has been highly effective at reducing backing crashes, by up to 82% in some studies.

Potential vs. Reality and Mitigating Factors
While the potential for crash reduction is high (one study estimated a full deployment of ADAS could prevent 24% of road crashes in the UK annually), real-world effectiveness is influenced by several factors:

• Driver Disengagement/Over-reliance: Some "comfort-enhancing" systems like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) have, in some studies, been linked to increased crash rates (8-12% increase). This is possibly because drivers may pay less attention or rely too heavily on the system, leading to a "false sense of security".
• System Annoyance: Features like lane-keeping assist can be perceived as "annoying" due to frequent false alarms or "tugging" sensations, leading many drivers to switch them off, thus negating their safety benefits.
• Environmental Limitations: ADAS performance can be limited by challenging conditions such as adverse weather (rain, snow, ice) or faded lane markings, as these impair sensor capabilities.
• Driver Education: There is a gap in driver understanding and correct use of ADAS technology. Proper education and training are considered vital to maximize the safety benefits.

In conclusion, evidence from numerous studies points to a significant positive safety impact from ADAS when used correctly, particularly with features that actively intervene in imminent crash situations like AEB and LKA. However, human factors and technological limitations mean the full safety potential has yet to be realized. "

I think that proves that leaving the management of driving safely just to the driver is not safest solution.

 

[otherclive]

You have the option of switching them off permanently which you cannot do on new cars. However although it is an EU stipulation making it mandatory, I am wondering if your car could fail a MOT if you have permanently disabled the systems. There is no way that the MOT inspector can test the systems. There is no way that an insurance company could refuse a claim either.

Anyway off to the Toyota dealer to hassle them again as the car is still within the 6 months even though we have had it for almost 7 months. It is an inherent fault right across the brand, but as said, amazingly our car was the first time they had come across the issue!

I have to go in to the menus and turn each one off if I wanted to. They stay off for subsequent engine restarts. But, unlike the Yaris, I’ve not found them particularly intrusive, so they are left ON permanently. My daughters 2025 MG requires those that aren’t mandatory ON, to be switched off each time the car is restarted. But she now just leaves them ON, but hasn’t found any issue particularly wrt lane control.

What do you do on the new Tuscan, are they intrusive?

 

[Buckman]

I thought you would have realised that you cannot depend on a AI answer as on many occasions it has been known to be incorrect. I am not sure how it can come to that sort of conclusion as data would be very sparse plus the one big fact is proving that the accident could have been avoided using the safety system in a car. Are you aware that in France they are now investigating these safety systems due to some serious crashes i.e. car braking unexpectedly on a motorway?

 

[Buckman]

I have to go in to the menus and turn each one off if I wanted to. They stay off for subsequent engine restarts. But, unlike the Yaris, I’ve not found them particularly intrusive, so they are left ON permanently. My daughters 2025 MG requires those that aren’t mandatory ON, to be switched off each time the car is restarted. But she now just leaves them ON, but hasn’t found any issue particularly wrt lane control.

What do you do on the new Tuscan, are they intrusive?

I think that the Yaris suffers from the saying "One fits all". The Yaris probably uses the same software across all its models from the Landcruiser down to the Argo. Therefore on a Landcruiser being a much bigger vehicle the system does not feel over responsive, but on a much smaller vehicle using the same software it is hyper sensitive. I am just guessing. Unfortunately the Yaris has become a bit of a paperweight parked outside our residence as OH does not like driving it.