Guide to Cars With Advanced Safety Systems

Key active safety systems include:

• FCW (forward collision warning): Detects impending collision while traveling forward and alerts driver. Some systems include pedestrian or other object detection.

• AEB (automatic emergency braking): Detects potential collisions while traveling forward, provides forward collision warning and automatically applies the brakes to avoid or lessen the severity of impact. Some systems include pedestrian or other object detection.
• CAEB (city automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to prevent a collision or reduce collision severity when traveling at city speed.
• HAEB (high-speed automatic emergency braking): Brakes are automatically applied to reduce collision severity when traveling at highway speeds.
• PD (pedestrian detection): The system can detect pedestrians, then issue a warning and trigger automatic emergency braking, if necessary. Some can detect cyclists.
• LDW (lane departure warning): Monitors vehicle’s position within driving lane and alerts driver as the vehicle approaches or crosses lane markers.
• LKA (lane keeping assistance): Assists with steering to maintain vehicle within driving lane.
• BSW (blind spot warning): Detects vehicles to rear in adjacent lanes while driving and alerts the driver to their presence.
• RCTW (rear cross traffic warning): Detects vehicles approaching from the side and rear of vehicle while traveling in Reverse and alerts driver.
• Rear AEB (rear automatic emergency braking): Detects potential collision while traveling in reverse and automatically applies the brakes to avoid or lessen the severity of impact. Some systems include pedestrian or other object detection.
• LCA (lane-centering assist): Continuous active steering to stay in between lanes (active steer, autosteer, etc.)
• ACC (adaptive cruise control): Assists with acceleration and/or braking to maintain a prescribed distance between it and a vehicle in front. Some systems can come to a stop and continue.

Once sold on the concept of these active safety systems, there remains the challenge in interpreting each manufacturer’s offerings, each with its own unique name, then figuring out which trim and/or option is necessary to get the gear.

To help, we’ve compiled a table that shows which advanced systems are available, labeled with the common names defined above. The charts detail the most common features.

Guide to the Charts
“S” = Standard on all trims
“O” = Optional on some or all trims
“–” = Not available