Major Misassumptions Car Owners Have About Automatic Braking Systems

If you want to talk about modern vehicle safety, there is no way you can do so without the mention of the latest automatic braking technology that is being installed in some models. Automatic brakes are just one of the ways that automakers are trying to make vehicles safer by taking advantage of sensory developments in technology, and it can definitely be a huge help to prevent roadway collisions. However, to get the most from an automatic braking system in your vehicle, you must make sure you do not fall victim to some of the biggest misassumptions about the technology in general. 

Assumption: All automatic braking systems are the same.

Fact: There are varied types of automatic braking systems being implemented on newer model cars and each can vary from one model to the next. Some are indeed designed to bring a car to a full stop if there is a sudden obstacle in the way and there could be a collision. Others are designed merely to slow down the vehicle considerably when there is the potential for a collision, which provides benefit because it can lessen the damages inflicted in a crash. So to better understand the automatic braking system in your vehicle, make sure you know just what it is designed to do and how it works. 

Assumption: If your car has cruise control, it automatically also has automatic braking.

Fact: Cruise control was developed long before automatic braking technology. Because the two features can work hand in hand a lot of automobile owners assume that if their car has cruise control, it also has automatic braking technology, which is just not true. Unless your vehicle plainly is advertised to have an automatic braking system, you should ever assume that it does. 

Assumption: You don't have to be as alert to sudden obstacles if you have automatic braking technology in your car. 

Fact: The automatic braking system should never be treated as a feature you rely on while you are driving. Instead, this feature should be treated like it's not even there. You should not change your driving habits or be any less cautious or drive when not as alert as you should be. While the feature is in place to help prevent collisions, it is not full-proof and is definitely not something you should rely on in such a way that it makes you a less safe driver. 

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