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Automated Braking Systems

Need a new car? Then consider one with active automated braking safety systems. Manufacturers are building cars with systems that can help you avoid or mitigate a crash in all sorts of situations, such as closing in on another car too quickly or changing lanes into an unseen car in a blind spot.

What is AEB?

It’s typically part of a forward collision warning system that uses radar or other sensors to detect when a crash is about to occur. Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) is a feature that alerts a driver to an imminent crash and helps them use the maximum braking capacity of the car. AEB will independently brake if the situation becomes critical and no human response is made.

AEB comes in three categories:

• Low-speed system – works on city streets to detect other vehicles in front of your car to prevent crashes and nonlife-threatening injuries such as whiplash
• Higher speed system – scans up to 200 meters ahead using long range radar at higher speeds
• Pedestrian system – detects pedestrian movement in relation to the path of the vehicle to determine the risk of collision

*Front collision warning systems to vary between manufacturers – and even models. Some vehicles feature two or more AEB systems.

Active braking safety systems include:

• FCW (forward-collision warning): Visual and/or audible warning intended alert the driver and prevent a collision.
• AEB (automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent a collision or reduce collision speed when the system detects an imminent collision with a vehicle directly in front. AEB comes in two forms…
• CAEB (city automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent a collision or reduce collision severity when traveling at city speed.
• HAEB (high-speed automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to reduce collision severity when traveling at highway speeds.
• PD (pedestrian detection) – The system can detect pedestrians, then issue warning and trigger automatic emergency braking, if necessary. Some can detect cyclists.
• LKA (lane keeping assist): Automatic corrective steering input or braking provided by the vehicle when crossing lane markings.
• Rear AEB (rear automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent backing into something behind the vehicle. This could be triggered by the rear cross-traffic system or other sensors on the vehicle.

If you’d like to learn more about how Advanced Emergency Braking works, click here.

Over the last few years, safety features have spread from the domain of only expensive vehicles down to being standard equipment, even in some of the cheapest cars on the market. This is due in part to an agreement between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a group of carmakers that requires all models to come equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) within the next few years. For now, however, you’ll still find many models that only offer AEB as an optional extra.

The car companies don’t hide the fact that today’s AEB systems have blind spots. It’s all there in the owner’s manuals, typically covered by both an all-encompassing legal disclaimer and explicit examples of why the systems might fail to intervene. For instance, the Camry’s AEB system may not work when you’re driving on a hill. It might not spot vehicles with high ground clearance or those with low rear ends. It may not work if a wiper blade blocks the camera. Toyota says the system could also fail if the vehicle is wobbling, whatever that means. It may not function when the sun shines directly on the vehicle ahead or into the camera mounted near the rearview mirror.

For more information on insurance claims assistance or to schedule a no-obligation estimate, contact Citro’s Auto Body, located in Pompton Lakes, NJ by calling us Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm at 973.835.1451 or visiting us online to see how we can get you back on the road safely.