The automatic emergency braking system improves in preventing accidents

Automatic emergency braking (AEB) isn’t perfect, but the technology is improving, according to a recent AAA study. The research comes on the heels of a new federal rule requiring all vehicles to have the strongest version of AEB by 2029.

AAA wanted to know how newer vehicles equipped with AEB would perform compared to older models equipped with the technology. The AEB system uses front-facing cameras and other sensors to automatically tell the car to apply the brakes when a collision is imminent. According to test results, newer versions of AEB are much better at preventing frontal collisions than older versions of the technology.

The group of motorists conducted its testing on a private closed track using older (2017-2018) and newer (2024) versions of the same three vehicles: the Jeep Cherokee, Nissan Rogue and Subaru Outback. Each vehicle was tested at 12mph, 25mph and 35mph to see how well the AEB performed at different speeds. A dummy vehicle was placed in the middle of the road to see if the AEB system could prevent a collision.

Unsurprisingly, newer models performed much better than older models: 100 percent of 2024 cars braked before impact, compared to 51 percent of older vehicles.

However, this more recent test only included frontal crashes. Previous AAA studies have found that the AEB system is not equipped to prevent other common types of collisions, such as T-bond collisions and left turns in front of approaching vehicles.

“Since we began testing AEB in 2014, the advances automakers have made are laudable and promising in improving driver safety,” said Greg Brannon, director of automotive engineering research. “There is still significant work ahead to ensure systems operate at higher speeds.”

It was a positive sign that AEB is improving, considering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized a new requirement for all light-duty vehicles to have robust AEB systems by 2029. About 90 percent of vehicles on the road Today it comes standard with AEB, but the new rule requires automakers to adopt a more powerful version of the technology that can stop vehicles traveling at higher speeds and detect vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, even at night.

However, automakers are scrambling to stop adopting the new rule. Earlier this year, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major automakers, sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration arguing that the final rule is “practically impossible with available technology” and urging the agency to delay its implementation.