Which automotive safety feature uses radar or cameras to automatically brake to prevent a collision?

Automatic emergency braking is the automotive safety feature that uses radar or cameras to automatically brake to prevent or reduce a collision.

The system monitors the road ahead for vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles. If it detects an imminent impact, it can warn the driver and apply the brakes automatically when the driver does not respond quickly enough. Depending on the system and conditions, it may prevent a crash or reduce its severity.

AEB is different from adaptive cruise control, which maintains a selected speed and following distance during normal driving. Adaptive cruise control may use similar sensors, but automatic emergency braking is specifically an emergency intervention. Lane-keeping assist steers or corrects the vehicle’s position, while traction control manages wheel slip during acceleration.

Early collision-warning research used radar, while modern systems may combine radar, cameras, lidar or other sensors. Performance varies with vehicle speed, weather, visibility and the type of object detected, so AEB is an aid—not a replacement for an attentive driver.