Safety performance assessment of new AEB and AES for car-to-VRU collisions

Journal article, 2025

While overall crash statistics have been declining, collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians have not decreased at the same rate, particularly in urban areas. To enhance the safety of these vulnerable road users (VRUs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are being developed and introduced to the market. These systems aim to prevent or mitigate crashes by alerting drivers in critical situations and, if necessary, automatically applying braking or steering interventions. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a new autonomous emergency braking and steering (AEB + S) system in reducing fatalities and serious injuries in car-to-VRU collisions on urban roads across Europe. A prospective safety performance assessment was conducted using virtual simulations. The results indicate that AEB alone already prevents most crashes and VRU fatalities and serious injuries in urban VRU-crossing scenarios. The additional safety benefit of AEB + S compared to the baseline AEB system is relatively small—less than 1 % for VRU-crossing crash cases. However, AEB + S proves advantageous in scenarios where the VRU becomes visible too late for AEB alone to act, and an in-lane avoidance manoeuvre is feasible. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and regulatory bodies in assessing the real-world benefits of emerging ADAS technologies.