A step closer to Transformers Smart cars!

Remember when a car that could steer itself into a parking space felt like something out of Transformers?

Not anymore.

Many modern cars available in South Africa now come with technology that can warn you when you're drifting out of your lane, monitor your blind spots, help maintain a safe following distance or automatically brake when a collision risk is detected.

These technologies are commonly known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

They can make driving easier and may help prevent some crashes. But they also mean that motorists need to understand how their vehicle's technology works and what happens when those cameras and sensors need repairing.

Here's how smart-car technology has moved from science fiction to everyday driving.

ADAS is the collective term for vehicle technologies designed to assist the driver and improve safety or convenience.

Depending on the vehicle, these systems can use:

• cameras
• radar
• ultrasonic sensors
• software
• other electronic sensors

to monitor what's happening around the car.

They can then warn the driver or, in some situations, intervene.

Current South African vehicles are available with technologies ranging from lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking to adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection and automated parking.

But there's one important thing to remember:

ADAS assists the driver. It doesn't replace an attentive driver.

We've all seen a driver wandering towards the edge of a lane.

Sometimes distraction or fatigue may be involved. Other times it's simply a lapse in concentration.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) monitors the vehicle's position relative to visible lane markings and can alert the driver when the vehicle appears to be unintentionally leaving its lane.

Depending on the vehicle, the warning might be:

• an audible alert
• a dashboard warning
• a vibration through the steering wheel.

The technology still has limitations.

Poor or unclear road markings can affect how some systems operate, so don't rely on technology to compensate for inattentive driving.

Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) aren't exactly the same thing.

Lane-departure warning primarily alerts you.

Lane-keeping assistance may provide steering input to help keep the vehicle within its lane when it detects an unintended departure.

Current road-safety guidance stresses that the driver should still maintain proper control of the vehicle and understand when the system may not operate as expected.

Think of it as assistance not autopilot.

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is designed to detect a potential collision ahead.

Depending on the vehicle and system, it may first warn you. If you don't react quickly enough, it can automatically apply the brakes to help avoid the collision or reduce its severity.

AEB systems can use cameras, radar or other sensors to monitor what's happening ahead.

Some newer systems can also detect pedestrians or cyclists.

Again, the technology is backup.

Your eyes still belong on the road.

Checking your mirrors and blind spots remains essential.

But some vehicles can help.

Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) uses sensors to detect vehicles in areas that may be difficult to see through your mirrors.

If another vehicle is detected, you may see a warning light in the side mirror or receive another visual or audible alert.

It's useful assistance, particularly during lane changes, but shouldn't replace physically checking that it's safe to move.

Traditional cruise control maintains a selected speed.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) goes further.

It can monitor the vehicle ahead and automatically adjust your speed to help maintain a predetermined following distance.

Depending on the vehicle, the system may slow down and accelerate again as traffic conditions change.

That can make long journeys easier, but drivers still need to remain alert and ready to take control.

Ever tried reversing out of a busy shopping-centre parking space with large vehicles parked on either side?

That's where Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) can help.

Sensors monitor for vehicles approaching from the sides while you're reversing and warn you about traffic that may be difficult to see.

Some modern vehicles combine this with:

• reversing cameras
• parking sensors
• 360-degree camera systems
• blind-spot monitoring.

The result is a much better view of what's happening around you.

This was one of the big futuristic features in the original version of this MiWay article.

Back in 2016, we used Audi's Q7 as an example of a vehicle capable of helping steer into a parking space.

Today, parking-assistance technology is available across a much broader range of vehicles.

Depending on the model, systems can help:

• identify a suitable parking space
• steer into the space
• provide a 360-degree view
• monitor surrounding obstacles
• assist with reversing.

Some systems control only steering, while others may provide greater assistance.

Always check exactly what your vehicle's system does rather than assuming it can park entirely by itself.

It's tempting to think that the more technology a vehicle has, the less the driver needs to do.

That's not how ADAS should be used.

Driver-assistance technologies are there to support you when conditions change or mistakes happen. Current road-safety guidance specifically emphasises that they don't replace the driver.

Get to know your vehicle.

Read the owner's manual and understand:

• which ADAS features it has
• how to activate them
• what the warning symbols mean
• when they may not work properly
• when professional attention is required.

Here's something many motorists may not realise.

The cameras and sensors supporting ADAS need to be correctly positioned and calibrated.

A camera mounted near the windscreen, for example, may need recalibration after certain windscreen replacements. Radar or other sensors can also be affected by collision repairs or bodywork.

Depending on the vehicle and repair, calibration can be:

Static – performed while the vehicle remains stationary using specialist targets and equipment.

Dynamic – performed while the vehicle is driven under specified conditions.

Combined – requiring both procedures.

South African automotive specialists currently provide all three types, depending on manufacturer requirements and vehicle configuration.

So after a repair, don't just ask:

"Does the car look fixed?"

Also ask whether any affected driver-assistance systems need to be checked or recalibrated according to the manufacturer's requirements.

Sometimes.

Cameras, radar units and other sensors can add complexity when they're located in a damaged windscreen, bumper, mirror or body panel.

Current 2026 research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows the interesting trade-off: crash-avoidance technology can reduce the frequency of some claims, but vehicles equipped with these sensors can cost more to repair when collisions still occur.

That makes modern vehicle technology relevant to more than just safety.

It's relevant to car insurance, repairs and the overall cost of owning a vehicle too.

Your vehicle's technology can form part of its overall risk and repair profile.

Advanced safety systems may help prevent or reduce the severity of certain accidents. At the same time, damaged cameras, radar units and sensors can make some repairs more complex.

Your car insurance premium isn't determined by one feature alone. Insurers consider a range of risk factors when pricing cover.

When buying or insuring a technology-packed vehicle, it's worth understanding:

• what safety systems are fitted
• where sensors are located
• what repairs may require calibration
• the replacement value of the vehicle
• what your insurance policy covers
• what excesses and conditions apply.

Don't assume that having more technology automatically means cheaper or more expensive insurance.

The Transformers aren't here yet, but cars are getting smarter