Automatic Emergency Braking Drastically Reduces Rear-End Crashes, Studies Show

The Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) recently launched a collaborative study regarding the effectiveness of automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. AEB already held promise as a premier safety feature among techies, but no formal automatic braking study had tested the system’s real-world benefits. Were vehicles equipped with AEB and front collision warning (FCW) safer than those without these technologies? If so, by how much? El Paso car accident lawyer Michael Gopin answers those questions in detail.

Results from Automatic Braking Analyses

The automatic braking study showed that passenger vehicles with driver assistance programs like AEB and FCW decreased rear-end collisions by about 50 percent. Separated by crash type, these are the averages in crash reduction linked to AEB:

• 49 percent reduction in overall crashes
• 42 percent reduction in serious crashes
• 53 percent reduction in injury crashes

AEB was more effective than FCW in preventing rear-end collisions. Compared to the 53 percent decrease in crash injuries for cars with AEB, vehicles with FCW saw only a 16 percent overall reduction and a 19 percent decrease in injury-causing collisions. 

Automatic Emergency Braking in Pickup Trucks

El Paso drivers may be surprised to learn that pickup trucks make up only 20 percent of vehicles on the road nationwide. They are far less likely to be equipped with the latest driver assistance technology. However, those with AEB saw a similar 43 percent reduction in overall crashes and a 42 percent drop in accident-related injuries, according to research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

As a lawyer in El Paso with over 30 years of experience, Michael Gopin maintains that even trucks equipped with AEB can get in collisions. Automated driving assistance cannot overcome the effects of human negligence.

The Science Behind AEB Studies

The 2022 comprehensive AEB study used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reports from U.S. automakers represented by the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS). The AEB study involved:

• 47 million cars, including 93 different models, supplied by PARTS
• 12 million crash reports involving 21.7 million vehicles in 13 states from NHTSA
• Third-party analysis linking NHTSA’s crash reports to PARTS’ vehicles

The study analyzed over 2.4 million vehicles involved in crashes, including compact, midsize, and SUVs. In all vehicles, AEB stood out as a useful feature that helped drivers avoid collisions, especially in less-than-ideal driving conditions caused by bad weather, poor lighting, or uneven roads.

The issue now is whether other vehicles should adopt AEB as a standard safety feature.

How Michael Gopin Can Help

El Paso car accident lawyer Michael Gopin keeps up with these studies because they affect the safety of the roads we all share. Since 1987, the experienced accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Michael Gopin, PLLC have maintained their community focus on recovering fair financial compensation for injured victims. If you were hurt in a collision caused by a negligent driver, contact our office today for a free case evaluation.

Michael J. Gopin

Michael J. Gopin has practiced law in El Paso since 1987. Even after more than 30 years, he still remembers his first jury case. It was two weeks after receiving his license, when he represented a person whose life had been forever changed after being blinded in a work-related incident...