IAG is researching why vehicle safety technology is not delivering a reduction in road accidents, amid reports many people are switching off the assistance systems.

The insurer is partnering with Queensland University of Technology and the iMOVE Co-operative Research Centre to analyse how drivers operate advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and blind spot warnings.

About 40% of vehicles on Australian roads are expected to be ADAS-enabled by 2031.

IAG research centre head Shawn Ticehurst says the safety benefits are well established and the federal government has begun mandating the systems in all new vehicles sold in Australia.

“However, 60% of Australian drivers tell us they are actively turning off driver-assist safety features in their cars, meaning those people are missing out on realising the safety benefits – and that’s a major concern,” he said.

The research seeks to understand what is preventing drivers from embracing ADAS and what might encourage a behaviour shift, and to guide practical solutions to make roads safer, he says.

Sixty people from a cross-section of driving backgrounds and levels of ADAS familiarity will participate in the field study at the RACQ Mobility Centre. Vehicles involved are the Ford Everest, BYD ATTO 3 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.

IAG will publish the findings later this year.