Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) started appearing on production passenger vehicles within the last decade. Generally speaking, these systems include some kind of automated decision-making by the vehicle. For example, adaptive cruise control is usually the first ADAS system in any list. This feature allows a vehicle to follow the prevailing traffic speed when cruise control is engaged. Most adaptive cruise systems in current model year vehicles can come to a complete stop, if necessary.
Other common ADAS features include automatic high beams, automated parking, blind-spot monitoring with lane change assistance, driver monitoring, hill descent control, and many other services. As vehicles become more sophisticated, automakers are using ADAS to make traveling safer for their passengers, and for people outside the vehicle as well. Two of the leading ADAS systems on the market today are Cadillac’s Super Cruise and Tesla’s Autopilot, each allowing the vehicle to take over some basic driving duties. Click through to find out what technology is behind each system and what each system can do for you.