The majority of buyers are put off by newer used cars equipped with advanced driver assistance systems such as audible speed limit alerts, according to a survey.
November’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 55% believe motorists are unconvinced of the recently introduced safety benefits, 20% that some opt instead for slightly older models with fewer ADAS features and 18% that buyers find them actively annoying.
“Much research has gone into these devices and road safety experts believe they will have a marked effect on accident rates. However, there is little question some drivers find them annoying and the vast majority of dealers think this is having a direct impact on the saleability of the cars involved.”
However, the Tracker research also shows that none of the dealers surveyed think consumers will tend to turn off ADAS features on cars they have bought.
Paul added, “This is an interesting finding which has two potential explanations, we believe. One is the option to turn off the devices tends to be buried in a submenu and they reset to ‘on’ every time the car is started anyway. The second is the possibility that drivers will just become accustomed to ADAS over time and perhaps start to perceive the advantages.
“It is interesting that 55% of dealers think motorists are unconvinced of the safety benefits. Perhaps some form of education campaign is needed to show how cars equipped in this way will actively prevent accidents.”
ADAS systems on vehicles are part of the annual MoT check on three year old models and cannot be permanently disabled but have to be turned off before each journey in most instances. If a system is not working and shows up as a fault on an MoT examination the vehicle is failed until its rectified.
