Driver-assist and safety features explained
By Great Little CarsUpdated October 6, 20265 min read
Newer cars use cameras, radar and sensors to warn you, and sometimes step in. The names vary by brand, but the features are mostly the same.
The short version: these features help, but they don't drive the car. The one with the most proven benefit is automatic emergency braking, which brakes for you if you're about to hit something.
Helps prevent a crash
Automatic emergency brakingPre-collision braking, AEB
Brakes on its own if you're about to hit the car ahead and haven't braked. Some versions also spot pedestrians and cyclists.
Forward collision warning
Beeps and flashes when you're closing in on the car ahead too fast.
Rear automatic braking
Stops the car if you're about to back into something.
Helps you stay in your lane
Lane departure warning
Alerts you if you drift over a lane line without signaling.
Lane keep assist
Gently steers you back if you start to drift out of the lane.
Lane centering
Works with adaptive cruise to keep the car in the middle of the lane on the highway. Your hands stay on the wheel.
Sees what you can't
Blind-spot monitoring
A light in the side mirror when a car is in your blind spot, plus a warning if you signal toward it.
Rear cross-traffic alert
Warns you of cars coming from the side while you back out of a parking space.
Backup camera
Shows what's behind you on the dash screen in reverse.
Surround-view camera and parking sensors
A bird's-eye view, and beeps that speed up as you get close to something.
Makes long drives easier
Adaptive cruise control
Holds your set speed, and slows down and speeds up to keep a gap behind the car ahead.
Automatic high beams
Switches between high and low beams for oncoming traffic.
Driver attention alert
Notices signs you're getting drowsy or distracted and suggests a break.
The basics every newer car has
Stability controlESC
Brakes individual wheels to stop a skid before it starts.
Anti-lock brakesABS
Keeps the wheels from locking when you brake hard, so you can still steer.
Tire pressure monitorTPMS
A dash light when a tire is low.
Airbags
Front airbags in every car; side and curtain airbags in most newer ones.
What the brand names mean
Each brand bundles its driver-assist features under one name. What's in the bundle depends on the year and trim, so check the car's feature list.
| Subaru | EyeSight Driver Assist |
| Toyota | Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) |
| Honda | Honda Sensing |
| Nissan | Safety Shield 360 |
| Ford | Co-Pilot360 |
| Mazda | i-Activsense |
| Hyundai | SmartSense |
Good to know
- They can switch off. Snow, heavy rain, fog, mud over a sensor, or low sun straight into the windshield camera can pause these systems. The car shows a message when that happens.
- Windshield replacement needs calibration. On cars with a camera behind the windshield, the camera has to be re-aimed after a new windshield. Tell the glass shop.
- The beeps are adjustable. Most cars let you change warning sensitivity or volume in the settings menu, so you don't have to turn a feature off.
How to tell what a car has
Each listing's feature list names the safety features we've confirmed on that car, and each model guide shows crash-test ratings and which years and trims got which features. You can check any car for open recalls by its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, and we're glad to look it up with you.