Driver Misuse of ADAS Is Now the Leading Road Safety Threat, Global Survey Finds

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), from automatic emergency braking to adaptive cruise control, have the potential to prevent tens of thousands of crashes each year. But a growing body of evidence shows that the technology's biggest weakness is not a mechanical fault — it is the driver behind the wheel.

A new global survey of transport specialists, published July 15, 2026, found that motorists' misuse of driver-assistance technology and in-vehicle distraction have overtaken mechanical failures as the leading road safety threat . The survey, reported by Reuters, identified human-machine interaction as the top concern, with specialists warning that drivers routinely overestimate what automation can do .

This finding is not an outlier. It is supported by a cascade of driver surveys, naturalistic driving studies, and real-world crash data from government agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. And it is prompting the two most influential automotive safety regulators — Euro NCAP and the European Union — to fundamentally rethink how they test and mandate these systems.

The Evidence: Drivers Over-Relax, Over-Trust, and Over-Look

The gap between the promise and the reality of ADAS is stark. The technology works when used correctly, but drivers are demonstrably not using it correctly.

• A 2024 US Department of Transportation naturalistic driving study analyzed 235 safety-critical events involving automated driving systems. It found that 57% involved misuse — drivers were engaged in secondary tasks, using the system outside highways, or driving with hands off the wheel. In 13% of these events, the automated system never reacted at all .