Survey: US drivers with safety tech take more risks

US drivers with advanced technology in their vehicles - such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist - are taking more risks, says a new <%$Linker:2External000link-external surveyfalsehttps://newsroom.statefarm.com/distracted-driving-advanced-tech?cmpid=PArel071519ddadasfalsefalse%>.

Financial services company 2192 State Farm’s research revealed that 62% drivers using adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist “frequently” or “sometimes” read or send text messages.

State Farm says these drivers are taking more risks than those without adaptive cruise control (49%) or lane keeping assist (51%).

The findings also revealed that 60% of drivers with adaptive cruise control and 63% of those with lane keeping assist admitted to holding a phone while talking versus drivers without those features (50% and 51%, respectively).

More than half of the motorists using these platforms interact with mobile phone apps compared to those without adaptive cruise control (42%) or lane keeping assist (44%).

Laurel Straub, State Farm assistant vice president, enterprise research, says: “Innovations such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist are designed to make our roadways safer. These systems are meant to assist drivers, not replace them.''