Definition
ADAS — advanced driver assistance systems — are the set of systems that improve a vehicle's active safety using sensors and cameras. They assist the driver in judging and reacting to hazards: some only inform, some warn, and some intervene on the brakes or the steering. They cover functions such as collision alert, lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking. The driver always keeps control of the vehicle.
The ADAS systems the Spanish theory exam asks about
| System | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| AEB / AEBS | Automatic emergency braking | Brakes by itself when a collision is imminent and the driver has not reacted |
| LDW | Lane departure warning | Warns when the vehicle drifts out of its lane |
| LKA | Lane keeping assist | Steps in to hold the vehicle in its lane if the driver ignores the LDW warning |
| RCTA | Rear cross traffic alert | Detects vehicles approaching from the sides while reversing out of a parking space |
| TPMS | Tyre pressure monitoring | Warns when a tyre loses pressure |
| TSR | Traffic sign recognition | Reads road signs and displays them to the driver |
| Hill Holder | Hill start assist | Senses the gradient and stops the car rolling back as you lift off the brake |
| Blind spot | Blind spot information | Warns of vehicles in the blind spot; informs only, never intervenes |
Key facts
- ADAS improve active safety using sensors and cameras.
- Blind spot information only informs; it never intervenes.
- LDW warns about lane drift; LKA acts if the driver does not.
- AEB/AEBS brakes automatically when a collision is imminent.
- Traffic sign recognition is not allowed during the Spanish practical test; Hill Holder and AEBS are.
Frequently asked questions
- What are ADAS systems?
- Advanced driver assistance systems: sensor- and camera-based aids that improve a vehicle's active safety by helping the driver judge and react to hazards.
- Which ADAS are banned in the Spanish practical test?
- Traffic sign recognition (TSR), because the examiner must see the candidate read and respond to signs unaided. Hill Holder and AEBS are allowed.
- What is the difference between LDW and LKA?
- LDW warns you that the car is leaving its lane; LKA intervenes to keep it there when the warning goes unheeded.
Practice real questions on this topic
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In the DGT exam
- Under DGT Instruction COND2024/12, which of these systems may NOT be used during the practical test on public roads?
- In the practical test on roads open to general traffic, which pair of systems is admitted by DGT Instruction COND 2024/12?
- The ADAS system known as "AEB", if necessary, will carry out an...