What is AEB? Autonomous Emergency Braking systems explained ~ station of gear

Pre-crash or collision avoidance systems are increasingly common on modern cars, our guide to AEB explains the benefits

2016-04-25 13:00

One of the most common car accidents on our roads today is the nose-to-tail collision, or ‘rear-ender’. They are typically caused by a lapse of concentration when one driver is following another. Because of their frequency and potential severity, such accidents have a major impact on overall road safety in the UK but also on car insurance premiums. However, new technology dubbed AEB is helping to reduce their frequency on our roads. We explain what AEB is and how it works below...

nose-to-tail collision accidents happen frequently in congested traffic conditions, both on the motorway and in town. The effects are worsened when two cars are travelling at speed too close together, or when the following driver fails to slow down before impact. This kind of colision becomes even more serious when a vehicle strikes an unseen pedestrian but in all these cases AEB technology can reduce the risks. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems are available which lessen the risk to life and limb in all these scenarios. Ford’s Active City Stop, Nissan's Forward Emergency Braking and Volvo’s City Safety system are typical of the AEB systems now on offer.

• Safest cars on sale 2016

Following a study by the EU which claimed 5,000 deaths and 50,000 injuries per year could be prevented by widespread adoption of automatic braking systems, a directive was issued making them compulsory on all commercial vehicles sold after November 1st 2015. Sadly, there’s no such directive for passenger cars, and manufacturers have been slow to take up AEB – even though it’s acclaimed by many experts as the greatest safety innovation since the seatbelt.

If you want to know how slowly the manufacturers have responded, the first AEB system was shown to the public at the Detroit Auto show in 1996 – almost 20 years before AEB systems began to appear in mainstream family cars. Today, although many manufacturers offer AEB it tends to be an optional extra rather than standard equipment.

Which cars have Autonomous Emergency Braking?

It’s taken the efforts of organisations like independent crash tester Euro NCAP to force the carmakers’ hands. By making AEB a requirement for a full five-star safety rating, they’ve given a competitive marketing advantage to cars which have AEB fitted – and manufacturers are rapidly obliging.

As a result, it’s currently estimated that around 95 per cent of cars on sale in the UK have AEB fitted or on the options list, and - after the dismally slow start - availability is improving all the time.

How does Autonomous Emergency Braking work?

As with the latest Adaptive Cruise Control systems, AEB works via radar – and occasionally laser – sensors that scan the road ahead for obstructions. In fact ACC and AEB will typically share the same sensors, although some AEB systems add cameras that can spot pedestrians at the side of the road.

Complex algorithms are employed to almost instantaneously analyse the risk of impact, and the AEB system will first warn of the impending danger with an alarm and dashboard lights, before applying maximum braking force if the driver fails to intervene.

If you’re travelling fast prior to an impact, then the emergency braking may only be able scrape off some of the excess speed before the inevitable accident. At lower town speeds, there’s a greater chance the imminent accident may be prevented altogether.

All AEB systems vary, however, so be careful to make sure you understand - and are satisfied with - the level of safety provided by the systems on any new car you're looking at.

Do you have AEB fitted to your car? Has it ever saved you from an accident? Let us know in the comments section below...

Chris Rosamond

Thank you for reading the article about What is AEB? Autonomous Emergency Braking systems explained in blog station of gear If this article was helpful please bookmark this page in your web browser by pressing Ctrl + D on your keyboard keys.