Vehicle Safety Technology That Has Meaningfully Reduced Crash Rates

Introduced widely in the 1980s and now standard on virtually every new vehicle sold in the United States, anti-lock braking systems prevent wheels from locking during hard braking. When wheels lock, steering control is lost — ABS rapidly modulates brake pressure to keep wheels rotating and the vehicle steerable.

NHTSA research has associated ABS with meaningful reductions in fatal crashes on wet roads. The system is most effective when drivers apply firm, continuous pressure to the brake pedal rather than pumping it — a counterintuitive technique for drivers trained before ABS became common.

Mandated on all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. since the 2012 model year, electronic stability control detects and reduces loss of traction during skids. By applying brake force to individual wheels and, in some configurations, reducing engine torque, ESC helps a driver maintain intended direction during cornering or sudden maneuvers.

NHTSA estimates that ESC reduces the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by roughly 33 percent for cars and up to 58 percent for SUVs — a performance gap that reflects how significantly SUVs once struggled with rollover risk before the technology became widespread.

Automatic emergency braking uses cameras, radar, or lidar to detect vehicles, pedestrians, or obstacles in the vehicle's path and applies brakes autonomously if a collision appears imminent and the driver has not yet reacted. IIHS research has found that front AEB systems reduce rear-end crashes by roughly 50 percent compared to vehicles without the feature.

Pedestrian AEB — which extends detection to people crossing in front of the vehicle — has shown similarly strong results, particularly in lower-speed urban environments. AEB became standard on most new vehicles following a voluntary industry commitment, though system performance varies by manufacturer and conditions.

Rearview cameras became federally required on all new light vehicles sold in the U.S. starting in 2018. NHTSA data suggests the cameras have contributed to reductions in backover crashes — incidents where a driver reverses into a pedestrian or object behind the vehicle, often a child or pet invisible in mirrors alone.

Low-speed environments like parking lots and driveways are where these crashes most frequently occur. The cameras provide a real-time view of the area directly behind the vehicle that mirrors cannot cover. For more on why low-speed environments carry disproportionate crash risk, see why parking lot accidents are so common.

Blind-spot monitoring uses radar or ultrasonic sensors to detect vehicles in adjacent lanes that fall outside the driver's direct line of sight. A visual alert — typically a light in or near the side mirror — warns the driver when changing lanes could result in a collision. Some systems add an audible alert or brief steering resistance if a turn signal is activated while a vehicle is detected.

IIHS research has linked BSM to reductions in lane-change crashes and, notably, in injury-producing lane-change crashes specifically. The technology is particularly valuable at highway speeds where side-mirror checks alone may not capture fast-approaching vehicles.

Lane-departure warning (LDW) alerts a driver — through sound, vibration, or a visual cue — when the vehicle begins crossing lane markings without a turn signal active. Lane-keeping assist (LKA) goes further, applying corrective steering input to nudge the vehicle back into its lane.

These systems are most relevant in fatigue-related and distracted-driving crashes, which account for a notable share of run-off-road incidents. IIHS has found that LDW reduces injury lane-departure crashes, though the magnitude of benefit depends heavily on how attentive the driver remains. It's worth noting that hands-free driving technology raises related questions — the debate around hands-free phone use while driving explores why reduced physical distraction doesn't fully address cognitive load.