Experts from the analytics firm Avtostat conducted a comprehensive study to identify which driver assistance systems are most valued by car owners. The survey drew responses from 3,000 participants, providing a broad view of current preferences among drivers in North America and beyond.
When asked which driver aids are most useful, respondents highlighted door and trunk open notifications as the top feature. Blind-spot monitoring followed in second place, while auto emergency braking ranked third in perceived usefulness.
The survey also mapped a broader set of features that scored highly with respondents. These included night vision systems, adaptive cruise control, automatic lighting, lane-keeping assistance, parking assistance, traffic sign recognition, and fatigue monitoring alerts.
In a related set of questions, participants were asked what they would be willing to forgo in a car to simplify ownership. About 70% of drivers indicated that an electric trunk or similar automated storage feature would be acceptable to drop. Roughly 60% believed they could do without omnidirectional imaging, and about 58% were confident they could live without a heated steering wheel.
Additional features that participants were willing to omit included parking aids, cruise control, hill-start assist, adaptive headlights, and both a central armrest and immobilizer. Each of these saw a majority of respondents marking them as less essential in the context of simplifying vehicle setups or reducing cost.
The study also touched on weather considerations, noting that many drivers consider what items should not be left in a car when temperatures drop. This question underscores the practical concerns drivers have about preserving vehicle integrity and safety in cold conditions.