By The Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS)
New PARTS study finds AEB delivers dual benefits—fewer crashes, even fewer with injuries.
New analysis finds that vehicles equipped with AEB have up to 60% fewer rear-end injury crashes, with the latest model years (2021-23) demonstrating the greatest effectiveness. The study also found effectiveness increases in rear-end injury crashes when compared to all rear-end crashes within the study set.
Bringing together police-reported crashes and manufacturer equipment data, this study confirms that newer Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are delivering additional safety gains on U.S. roads, underscoring the accelerating impact of modern ADAS technology. The analysis focuses on the real-world performance of ADAS-equipped vehicles, with particular attention to injury crash outcomes across different vehicle cohorts.
Significant reductions in system relevant injury crashes were seen for Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB), Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA), and Lane Centering Assistance (LCA). Measurable improvements in newer model year AEB suggest that refinements in sensors, algorithms, and integration with other driver assistance features are contributing to stronger crash avoidance and mitigation. Because rear-end collisions remain among the most common crash types, the substantial mitigation effect observed in 2021–23 vehicles equipped with AEB is especially noteworthy.
“Saving lives and preventing injuries on our nation’s roads is at the core of what we do,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “Through a public-private partnership with automakers and MITRE, we’re seeing more evidence of how advanced driver assistance systems are not only saving lives but also reducing the severity of traffic crash injuries.”
“This study affirms that investments in active safety technologies are paying dividends,” notes Schuyler St. Lawrence, PARTS Governing Board Co-Chair and Principal Engineer for Safety Regulation and Research at Toyota North America. “The reduction in injury crashes across these modern ADAS features, most notably the nearly 60% reduction in rear-end injury crashes for 2021–23 models is a clear signal: ADAS systems are making a meaningful difference and underscores the importance of continued advancement and widespread deployment of advanced driver assistance systems.”
Injury crashes can have a significant impact on the people involved and their families. They also have larger societal impacts to communities, emergency service providers, and insurers. Reducing crashes and crash severity improves the safety of our roadways for everyone. This study discusses the real-world safety benefits of ADAS across vehicle, occupant, environment, and crash conditions, improving our understanding of the effectiveness and opportunities of these technologies.