What is ADAS?

Advanced driver assistance systems, are technological features that are designed to increase the safety of driving a vehicle. These systems increase safety and reaction times to potential through early warning and automated systems. Some of these systems are built standard to certain vehicles, while aftermarket features and even entire systems are available to add at a later date to personalize the vehicle to the driver.

ADAS uses sensors in the vehicle such as radar and cameras to perceive the world around it, and then either provides information to the driver or takes automatic action based on what it perceives.

ADAS features that provide information will most commonly include “warning” in the name. For example, if the vehicle detects an object such as another vehicle or a cyclist in a location where the driver may not be able to see them, features such as blind spot warning or rear backup warning will alert the driver. Likewise, if the system determines that the vehicle is drifting out of its lane, it could activate lane departure warning to alert the driver.

When these detections are coupled with a technology that takes action beyond a simple warning, ADAS becomes an active safety system – meaning the vehicle will “actively” control braking or steering. These features most commonly include “assistance” in the name.

These features can dramatically increase the effectiveness of ADAS to save lives. For example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that forward collision warning systems lower front-to-rear crashes by 27%; when the system also includes the ability to automatically brake, that number nearly doubles. Similarly, rearview cameras reduce backing crashes by 17%, but rear automatic braking lowers them by a massive 78%.

ADAS also includes propulsion functions such as adaptive cruise control, which varies speed to ensure that a vehicle maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front of it. More sophisticated ADAS features can even manage steering and propulsion without the need for hands-on control from the driver under certain conditions, such as highway driving or stop-and-go traffic. These are typically referred to as Level 2+ active safety systems, and represent some of the most advanced functionality currently available on the market.

Do I need ADAS re-calibration?

There are many things that can cause an Advanced Driver Assistance System to be thrown out of alignment and require calibration. Standard services such as windshield or bumper replacement are a common reason to make sure your system is calibrated properly. The ADAS system can also be thrown off from being involved in a collision, having to get body repairs done to a vehicle in areas that sensors are placed, getting a vehicle painted, or even by replacing various parts on a vehicle that require moving an area that is close to sensors and cameras. For example, when replacing the air conditioning compressor on some vehicles you are required to remove the bumper which can contain a sensor used for the Advanced Driver Assistance System. Whenever any of these procedures are performed it is important to make sure the advanced driver assistance system is properly calibrated after. Adaptive Systems that change/adapt based on input from the surrounding environment. Automated Systems that take over and perform certain functions that a driver cannot do safely. Monitoring Systems that use sensors, cameras, or other means to observe the surrounding area or driving of the vehicle and assesses whether a correction needs to be mad. Warning Systems that alert the driver to potential issues in their own driving or the driving of others that could increase the risk of injury to those in the vehicle.