ADAS causes an accident: Intervenes unexpectedly on my 2022 Tucson

I usually switch off all driver assistance systems first. The problem with many brands is that they automatically re-activate after restarting the car.

BHPian abtyagi recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Casualties of ADAS in Indian conditions especially in NCR. Near ITO a car in the next lane was coming too close and ADAS decided to apply brakes, Causing the car behind to tail-end the Tucson.

We haven't even got the mats yet, so not sure if the broken parts will be available at the dealership.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

This deserves its own discussion because ADAS is best for developed countries with "ideal" driving conditions. Whenever I sit in a high-end car, I usually switch off all driver assistance systems first. The problem with many brands (including Mercedes) is that they automatically re-activate after restarting the car.

Spent a few days with the EQS and in one of the drives, I missed switching off the driver assistance system. At the Bandra-Mahim Causeway signal, the car suddenly slammed on the brakes, leaving all of us in shock. We were 5 onboard and all were buckled up tight, so no injury. Now, a couple of feet away was a pedestrian and (on another side of the car) an autorickshaw. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out which one made the car brake so damn hard. Manufacturers should realise this is not Europe or USA; a biker being 3 feet from you is an everyday occurrence (hell, many times they zoom past at a 1-foot distance). Luckily, the vehicle behind wasn't close, else I'd have been rear-ended. God help the EQS if it was a wheezy 15-year-old Bolero with a crash guard & bald tyres behind. For that matter, 99.99% of the cars on our roads won't match the EQS' braking ability and inevitably rear-end it.

Post this incident, before I could even start the car, my family told me "switch off the driver assistance systems". This was literally the first thing they were telling me upon sitting in the car!

Here's what BHPian Samurai had to say on the matter:

Time for a new kind of warning board on the back of these cars?

Here's what BHPian pavi had to say on the matter:

I still don't have 'trust' in these ADAS systems, be it of any manufacturer. For me, it feels like two drivers driving the same car at the same time, with both having complete control of the car at all times. After using it for a decade, I am unable to trust even my car remote key for that matter. I always have this doubt 'is the car actually locked, let me press the lock button on the key one more time. Let me pull the handle once, oh it's locked. Never had this doubt, when I had to manually lock the car using a key. I hope the majority here also would be having the same 'trust issue' with your car remote key, but I am not sure if you have the same 'trust issue' with ADAS systems that too in India.

The big question here is, "what explanation was given to the driver of the car who hit you from behind"? "I did not do it Raju (3 idiots fame dialogue)". No hard feelings please, just a casual ask.

Here's what BHPian psispace had to say on the matter:

First, my sympathies for your ordeal with your brand-new car. It was heartbreaking when I had a small scratch on my car in the first month, so I can't even imagine what you must be going through. I hope you get your parts soon and can enjoy driving her more. I was seriously eyeing this car because of her level 2 ADAS tech. The AWD only being available in diesel and not getting even a test drive till now are what kept me away.

I would like to put my thoughts on ADAS in India and would be going against the trend in this thread here.

I have been driving an ADAS-enabled car for the past decade. It was only in the initial stages that I used to get these minor frights.

I used to be a partially aggressive driver before I got my car. After some time, I started driving in a way as to not trigger the ADAS systems. I effectively became a more cautious driver. I kept a safe distance from the car ahead, stopped late braking and always indicated lane changes. No abrupt accelerations from behind another vehicle for overtaking unless absolutely necessary. I found even this can trigger the collision alert and braking.

It just requires a change in our driving style bit. Some cars' ADAS systems are well-tuned for Indian conditions. Others are not. Although my car was a CBU (Euro-spec), I found it coping quite well once I started driving sedately. There are settings in most of these cars where you can adjust the distance to the vehicle in front at which the alarm and brake triggers. I have set it at the closest. I believe Tucson and other cars also have this setting.

I know its' a little more challenging in urban conditions due to how closely we are followed by vehicles in the rear. Not to mention random bikers and pedestrians who will cut across in front of us. These systems usually don't function at crawling speeds (they don't function in mine), so it makes sense to go it really slow in heavy traffic. Even I was rear-ended by bikers and one car during the first few months. Fortunately, there was no serious damage like this. Just minor scratches which were easily buffed away at the next water service.

But if you are an enthusiast driver ( wrong terminology, even I am an enthusiast driver ), lets' say 'fast' driver, then its' best to switch off these systems. In this case, it doesn't make sense to buy these cars anyway.

Another problem is that with earlier cars, the ADAS used to function to its' full potential only up to 30 to 40 km/h (as in mine). Newer models are capable of bringing the car to a complete halt without colliding at even higher speeds. This increases the chances of such incidents.

I found it to be quite the opposite. In Kerala where I reside, highways exist only by name and I have rarely used ACC when inside the state. I use it only occasionally to give rest to my right foot for some time, that too only with
less traffic (which is rare here).

I feel more cars with ADAS will make our roads safer. It is we who need to change our driving styles.

I was waiting for the day when these features would be available in the mass market. Even our present generation of Polo had ADAS as an option in Europe on its top models. But the VW group, up to date, has not offered it here in any of their models. Nor have any other manufacturer, except for their top-end models.

It has been a long wait. I never expected an Indian manufacturer to set the ball rolling. For this, I should congratulate Anand Mahindra and his team for being able to introduce this tech to the masses. He has set the ball rolling. The phrase; "but it doesn't have ADAS", has started creeping into automobile reviews as more and more vehicles have started getting equipped with it, at one level or the other.

Seatbelts, ABS, airbags etc. were not accepted earlier as a must-have safety feature in the past. Remember the tag line " I die like a man, I don't wear seatbelts. I'll just brace myself against the steering wheel "? In this day and age, you wouldn't be caught dead (forgive the pun) buying a new car without these features.

ADAS technology is here to stay and I am happy to say has already started invading our shores. Once the technology becomes more mainstay, it will only be a matter of time before these features become mandatory.

I would request everyone to not discourage the OP that he made a big mistake with this purchase just because of this unfortunate incident.

Here's what BHPian VRJ had to say on the matter:

I experienced this first-hand while test-driving the Tucson couple of weeks ago. I was in the passenger seat while my friend was driving. We were on a straight road, on the right lane, and a 2W merged into our lane from the left without a signal to turn right at an intersection. This is something that happens a lot on Indian roads and before we hit the brakes, the ADAS just slammed the brakes soo darn hard and we were all shocked. This is the first time any of us experienced ADAS and it was quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, I had my seat belt on, if not, I would’ve broken a tooth or two. The SA himself was surprised.

Not a very practical technology on Indian city roads, especially if you’re living in one of the metros. Although, I think this is a boon on highway drives (especially during the night). Heavy vehicles parked on the left lane have caused numerous accidents and I’m hoping ADAS can save life’s in such scenarios. Regarding lane assist and adaptive cruise control, theoretically, they sound nice. But, practically not a fan unless you have access to controlled highways with everyone maintaining an average speed and following lane etiquette. From the countless number of highway drives I’ve done, I don’t think I ever had the cruise control set at a speed continuously for more than a minute. There’s always a heavy vehicle that’s in the right lane travelling at one-third the speed limit which just ruins the average speed of our journey. It is what it is.

I feel ADAS should always be optional. Pay Rs. 50k or 1L extra and you get ADAS for the top two variants. Not everyone would use it. What’s the point of paying for a fancy technology that you’ll never use? Just adds to the overall cost.

Cheers!

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