Autonomous Emergency Braking to be Fitted as Standard?

Published Date: 18th Feb 2016

The system also known as AEB currently offered as standard on the top end spec cars and as an optional extra on lower end vehicles, is being called upon to be fitted as standard in a campaign headed by What Car?

The emergency braking will cut in when the car detects an imminent collision with a car or obstacle in front when there is no input from the driver to stop. It uses radar technology to measure the incoming speed of the car or obstacle. More expensive variants use a camera and LIDAR which is Light Detection and Ranging to measure distance by lighting up an object with a laser and can also be applied when reversing on the latest cars.

Editorial director of What Car? Jim Holder, compares this situation to the introduction of mandatory seatbelts in cars.

“When seatbelts became compulsory for front seat occupants of cars in 1983,” he said, “the number of drivers killed or seriously injured dropped dramatically, almost overnight.

“The evidence is irrefutable – AEB saves lives. Just as all new cars now come with stability control, so autonomous emergency braking should be standard fit for all mainstream cars.”