Cars have evolved over the years and have added new features in the newer car models to improve the safety features. However, USA Today reported on Sept. 27 that a recent study found that most drivers do not fully understand all of the safety technology and the limitations of the features.

In the article, Most driver don’t understand limitations of car safety systems, AAA finds, by Nathan Bomey, he reported that drivers overestimate “the capabilities of features such as blind-spot monitoring systems, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control.” The study found that drivers rely heavily on the features and even dismiss looking for vehicles when switching lanes and trust the blind-spot monitoring. Some drivers also lose focus while driving if the car has automatic features, such as cruise control and braking.

While the article does emphasize the importance of these features in saving lives, it does put the situation in a negative light. As a car manufacturer, the public relations team should create a plan to educate drivers on the capabilities and limitations of the safety technologies and increase awareness on the fact that the technologies will not replace the drivers. A campaign can be initiated to address this problem and courses can be created to teach drivers about the features. The target audience that is affected is anyone with a license and owner of a vehicle. The lack of knowledge on the features could cause serious accidents if it is not addressed and if the company does not take action to better inform the individuals who are getting behind the wheel.