If you want to buy a new car, safety has to be a top concern. Sometimes when driving, you need to stop your vehicle in a hurry. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) can help.
The technology has been around for some time, yet, some manufacturers have yet to embrace it fully, despite it not being that expensive to install. The cost to the manufacturer starts at around $53.
How does AEB work?
Sensors on the car warn you of a potential collision via a visual or audible alert. Then the AEB system calculates whether or not you will stop in time to avoid the collision:
- If you hit the brake pedal hard enough, it does not need to do anything
- If it feels you need to apply more pressure, it will do it for you
- If you have not touched the brake pedal, it will brake alone
Why would you want is a car that stops of its own accord? Because many crashes are down to drivers drifting off for a moment or not paying enough attention to the road to notice they need to stop.
Which manufacturers include AEB as standard on new cars?
As of 2021, these manufacturers equipped the majority of their vehicles with AEB: Subaru, Tesla, Volvo, Audi, BMW, Hyundai/Genesis, Volkswagen/Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota/Lexus, and Mazda. Ford and Honda will join them from September 2022. The manufacturers lagging behind include General Motors, Porsche and Land Rover, although some of their vehicles already come with AEB as standard or an add-on.
Many of the crashes that AEB can help avoid would not happen if drivers were paying more attention. So AEB or not, if injured in a collision occurs, understanding how to claim compensation will be crucial.