Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking 

What is a pedestrian automatic emergency braking system?

A pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) system—also known as frontal pedestrian impact mitigation braking—is an emerging safety technology that provides automatic braking for vehicles when pedestrians are in the forward path of the vehicle’s travel and the driver has taken insufficient action to avoid an imminent crash.

How does it work?

A PAEB system, like a crash imminent braking (CIB) system, is a crash avoidance system that uses information from forward-looking sensors to automatically apply or supplement the brakes in certain driving situations in which the system determines a pedestrian is in imminent danger of being hit by the vehicle. Like automatic emergency braking (AEB), PAEB systems typically use cameras, but some also use a combination of cameras and radar sensors.

What types of crashes does it prevent?

Unlike CIB and dynamic brake support (DBS) systems, which address rear-impact crash scenarios, many pedestrian crashes occur when a pedestrian is crossing the street in front of the vehicle. Four common pedestrian crash scenarios include when the vehicle is:

1. Heading straight and a pedestrian is crossing the road;
2. Turning right and a pedestrian is crossing the road;
3. Turning left and a pedestrian is crossing the road; and
4. Heading straight and a pedestrian is walking along or against traffic.

Does NHTSA recommend pedestrian automatic emergency braking systems?

NHTSA has not set performance specifications for this technology. This technology may enhance the safety of the vehicle, and you may want to consider this technology when buying a new vehicle.