Let’s be honest, those advanced safety features in modern cars, known as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), can sometimes be more of a nuisance than a help. If you’ve ever been frustrated by your car’s Lane-Keeping Assist or similar systems, you’re not alone—and you’re in for some interesting news.
Starting in 2026, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is set to tighten its testing criteria, and they’re going to be a bit tougher on features that drivers find irritating.
Yes, ANCAP will begin docking points for those overly sensitive or intrusive ADAS features that might be making your driving experience less enjoyable.
What’s Changing?
ANCAP has long been known for raising the bar every few years to ensure cars are as safe as possible. But now, they’ll also focus on how effective and annoying these systems are to everyday drivers. It’s about time, right?
The disconnect between five-star safety ratings and real-world driving experiences is something ANCAP is addressing head-on.
One system getting special attention is Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA). This feature is notorious for its sometimes aggressive corrections, and ANCAP’s upcoming assessment changes will align with stricter European NCAP protocols.
Pilot Testing Reveals Room for Improvement
In the first stage of this new approach, ANCAP tested four unnamed cars to see how well their lane-support systems worked—and let’s just say, there’s room for improvement. Only one car did well, while the others showed some serious flaws.
ANCAP’s evaluation includes looking at factors like:
- How smoothly the car stays in its lane
- The angle and speed of steering corrections
- How the system responds to road edges
For example, in the Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK) test, the best-performing car barely had to adjust its steering—just a slight 2.02-degree turn at 1.26 degrees per second.
Meanwhile, one of the worst performers cranked the wheel at a wild 13.57-degree angle, shooting up to 70.7 degrees per second. Talk about a jarring experience!
Another test showed how gently the top car returned to the centre of its lane, while the worst one reacted too early and too sharply, potentially making the driver feel less in control.
What’s Next?
According to ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg, these detailed results will be shared with car manufacturers to help refine and improve their systems before the new 2026-2028 test protocols kick in. So, by 2026, you can expect ADAS systems—like lane-keeping assist—to be less intrusive, smoother, and hopefully, less annoying.
In short, ANCAP’s upcoming changes are good news for drivers who’ve been putting up with overly aggressive safety features. We’re all for safer roads, but it’s even better when the tech works with us, not against us!
Source: Caricarz
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