Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are increasingly prevalent in light
vehicles, both in the United States and worldwide. Moreover, ADAS are steadily
being incorporated into regulatory requirements globally. Like ADAS, the
automotive aftermarket is also increasing in size and significance. As both ADAS
and the aftermarket industry are growing, the effect of aftermarket
modifications on ADAS functionality should be examined. However, there is very
little information available in the public domain about the effect of
aftermarket modifications on original equipment ADAS. This work is centered on a
considerable research project that was conducted to address the knowledge gap at
the intersection of ADAS and the aftermarket. The project investigates five
light vehicles that are important to the aftermarket, including four pickup
trucks and one sport-utility vehicle. It focuses solely on the effect of popular
aftermarket suspension modifications, and it does not evaluate aftermarket ADAS
equipment. Typical suspension modifications were applied to the test vehicles in
five modification categories, including stock, lower kits, level kits, 3–4 in.
lift kits, and 6 in. lift kits. Six ADAS test procedures were performed for the
test vehicles, comprised of blind spot detection, crash imminent braking, lane
departure warning, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic
alert, and traffic jam assist. The physical tests were developed based on
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) New Car Assessment
Program (NCAP) written experimental procedures. Statistical hypothesis testing
was performed for the purpose of determining if average measured dynamic
responses varied in the modified vehicles compared to stock. The results show
that vehicles modified with typical aftermarket modifications will likely retain
their ADAS functionality, given the limitations of the small sample size of five
vehicles. Vehicles with 6 in. lift kits are expected to exhibit greater
variability in their dynamic responses compared to stock. Plans for future work
and unanswered research questions are outlined, with the goal of advancing
aftermarket ADAS integration and ensuring the safety and performance of modified
vehicles.
