Groups Seek Consensus on What to Call Newfangled Driver Assistance Technologies

Four consumer and safety organizations—AAA, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power and the National Safety Council—are urging all organizations, automakers and the media to adopt standardized naming for advanced driver assistance technology in an effort to reduce confusion.

They say the use of common terminologies will help educate consumers on the benefits, limitations and proper use of these technologies.

At this time, five categories have been created to group technology by type:

Driving Control Assistance

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Active Driving Assistance
• Lane Keeping Assistance

Collision Warnings

• Blind Spot Warning
• Forward Collision Warning
• Lane Departure Warning
• Parking Obstruction Warning
• Rear Cross Traffic Warning

Collision Intervention

• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Automatic Emergency Steering
• Rear Automatic Braking

Parking Assistance

• Active Parking Assistance
• Remote Parking

Other Driver Assistance Systems

• Automatic High Beams
• Backup Camera
• Driver Monitoring
• Head-Up Display
• Night Vision
• Surround-View Camera

The groups said the naming list will be continually refined as they work with automakers and policymakers and as new systems come to market.

Automotive technology continues to evolve quickly with 93% of new vehicles offering at least one advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) feature. Earlier this year, AAA research found that consumers are faced with as many as 20 names for a single ADAS feature, varying by vehicle manufacturer.

The groups say these terms are not meant to replace automotive manufacturers’ proprietary system or package names; rather, they are meant to achieve clearer information on window stickers, owners’ manuals and other marketing materials on generic system components.

Topics Personal Auto