Australian Drivers Still Struggle to Trust New In-Car Safety Tech, Study Reveals

As Australia speeds toward a more electrified future, a surprising roadblock remains: driver trust. New research has revealed that most Australian motorists still hesitate to rely on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and automated parking, even when their vehicles already feature them.

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Most Drivers Own Smart Cars, But Don’t Use Their Smart Features

According to a national survey conducted by mycar, one of Australia’s leading servicing and research companies, 76% of drivers own vehicles equipped with some form of driver-assist technology. Yet, only 30% have ever used adaptive cruise control or lane-keeping assist, the very tools designed to make driving safer and less stressful.

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The numbers drop even lower for other systems:

• 28% said they’ve used automatic emergency braking or brake assist
• Only 22% have tried assisted parking

Tom Hatch, Head of Technical Transformation at mycar, says the gap isn’t about what cars can do, but what drivers believe they can do.

“The trust gap isn’t about capability – it’s about confidence and understanding,” Hatch explained. “These systems reduce the risk of collisions, help manage fatigue, and improve efficiency, but uncertainty around how they work is holding drivers back.”

Tesla Leads the Charge, But Australians Remain Cautious

The study comes as driver-assistance systems evolve rapidly, with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) rollout in Australia and New Zealand marking a new milestone in semi-autonomous technology.

Despite these advancements, the public’s trust remains low:

• Only 19% of drivers said they’d use a fully autonomous car for most or all of their trips, even if it were legal and available today
• Meanwhile, 40% admitted they wouldn’t feel comfortable letting a car take full control of the wheel

The hesitation isn’t unique to Australia. International studies, including one in the Netherlands, have shown that drivers using adaptive cruise control can sometimes become over-reliant, increasing the likelihood of accidents when the system behaves unexpectedly.

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Bridging the Confidence Gap Through Better Education

Experts say that education, not technology, is the missing piece of the puzzle. Hatch points to initiatives like the ADAS Guidance Service launched by Austroads, Australia’s leading transport association, which aims to help motorists understand these systems through practical, easy-to-digest materials.

The program includes:

• Fact sheets and explainer videos that simplify complex features
• A dedicated ADAS Assist platform offering consistent, brand-neutral guidance

“By offering independent, practical guidance on how these systems work, initiatives like this help bridge the gap between innovation and adoption,” Hatch added. “This kind of support empowers drivers to use the latest technology correctly and with confidence.”

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Zecar’s take

While advanced driver-assist systems continue to evolve, education remains the biggest roadblock to widespread adoption. Technology can only do so much if drivers don’t understand it, or worse, distrust it. Australia’s transition to smarter, cleaner transport depends on improving public confidence, and that begins with proper driver education.

However, the challenge extends beyond education. A growing tide of misinformation and disinformation about EVs and autonomous technology continues to distort public perception, often amplified on social media. Myths about battery fires, range anxiety, and software control feed skepticism, widening the trust gap even further.

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For Australia to truly embrace next-generation vehicles, it’s not just the cars that need upgrading, it’s the conversation around them. Clear information, transparent communication, and consistent public awareness campaigns are just as critical as the technology itself.