A new study by the US Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) has found a 49 per cent reduction in front-to-rear crashes for vehicles equipped with AEB across all vehicle segments and model years.

Additionally, the study measured a statistically significant improvement in the reduction of rear-end crashes, from 46 per cent across model years 2015 to 2017 to 52 per cent across model years 2021 to 2023, indicating that advancements in AEB over time have yielded tangible benefits.

For every 1,000-pound (454 kg) decrease in vehicle weight, the study measured an approximate four per cent reduction in front-to rear crashes for vehicles equipped with AEB. According to Mitre, which operates PARTS, understanding this effect is crucial as vehicle weight continues to increase on US roads.

The study also measured a nine per cent reduction in single-vehicle frontal crashes with non-motorists for vehicles equipped with pedestrian AEB, marking the first time PARTS has quantified a statistically significant measure of pedestrian AEB effectiveness.

Systems with active interventions showed effectiveness in reducing single-vehicle road-departure crashes, although rates were low and varied with speed limit.

“The size, growth and iterative nature of this study are incredible,” said Jennifer Morrison, PARTS Communications Chair and Head of Vehicle Safety at Mazda North American Operations. “The industry has voluntarily developed and deployed these crash avoidance systems. We can now see a trend in their life-saving capabilities and can focus our efforts on continuing that trend.”

Mitre said the study paired vehicle manufacturer equipment data with police crash report statistics covering 98 million vehicles and 21.2 million crashes, making it the largest and most comprehensive study of advanced driver assistance systems to date.