Euro NCAP publishes survey results on autonomous emergency braking in European vehicles

Euro NCAP has announced that it is publishing the results of a survey on availability of Autonomous Emergency Braking systems in Europe. Euro NCAP is a European safety regulator that provides drivers and automobile makers with realistic and independent assessments of the safety performance for cars sold in Europe. Euro NCAP has also announced that it will include autonomous emergency braking systems technologies in its star ratings starting in 2014.

There are some vehicles on the road already that have automatic emergency braking when the car senses an accident; Ford has been offering the technology for a while now. With this tech when car sensors detect an impending collision the brakes automatically activate without driver intervention. According to Euro NCAP, autonomous emergency braking systems can reduce accidents by up to 27%.

According to the survey the organization performed, these emergency braking systems are unavailable on 79% of car models sold in Europe. The survey also found that 66% of manufacturers don't offer autonomous emergency braking systems on any new car models. The survey found that premium car brands such as Volvo, Infiniti, and Mercedes have the best levels of standard autonomous emergency braking system fitment. The company also notes that Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, and Lexis have systems as optional equipment. Standard mass-market automakers offering the system as an option include Mazda, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen.