• 80% of dealers say buyers are put off newer used cars by ADAS features such as audible speed limit alerts
• 55% say consumers are unconvinced of the safety benefits and 20% that some are opting for older cars instead
• Also 18% say that buyers are finding them actively annoying, shows November’s Startline Used Car Tracker

November’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 55% believe motorists are unconvinced of the recently introduced safety benefits, 20% that some opt instead for slightly older models with fewer ADAS features and 18% that buyers find them actively annoying.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “New EU regulations mandated a whole host of ADAS devices from July last year and UK cars tend to be made to the same specifications, partially in the expectation that our government will follow suit.

“While some ADAS devices, such as emergency braking, have been found on UK cars for some time, the new introductions do tend to be intrusive, such as audible warnings if you exceed the speed limit and lane departure that will take control of the steering wheel.

“Much research has gone into these devices and road safety experts believe they will have a marked effect on accident rates. However, there is little question some drivers find them annoying and the vast majority of dealers think this is having a direct impact on the saleability of the cars involved.”

However, the Tracker research also shows that none of the dealers surveyed think consumers will tend to turn off ADAS features on cars they have bought.

Paul said: “This is an interesting finding which has two potential explanations, we believe. One is the option to turn off the devices tends to be buried in a submenu and they reset to ‘on’ every time the car is started anyway. The second is the possibility that drivers will just become accustomed to ADAS over time and perhaps start to perceive the advantages.

“It is interesting that 55% of dealers think motorists are unconvinced of the safety benefits. Perhaps some form of education campaign is needed to show how cars equipped in this way will actively prevent accidents.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 302 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.