As leaders in consumer advocacy, traffic safety, and industry advice, four organizations – AAA, Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, and the National Safety Council – have come together to adopt standardized naming for advanced driver assistance technology in an effort to reduce confusion.

To help educate consumers on the benefits, limitations, and proper use of these technologies, the four organizations are calling on all safety organizations, automakers, and journalists covering the automotive industry to join them in adopting these terms.

Automotive technology continues to evolve quickly with 93% of new vehicles offering at least one advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) feature. Earlier this year, AAA research found that consumers are faced with as many as 20 names for a single ADAS feature, varying by vehicle manufacturer. This can cause confusion. And while the technology has the potential to improve safety and save lives, the terminology often seems to prioritize marketing over clarity.

As a result, the four organizations have agreed on standardized naming that is simple, specific and based on system functionality. It is believed that, by adopting common terminology across systems, consumers will have a better understanding that this technology is intended to assist and not replace an engaged driver.

These terms are not meant to replace automotive manufacturers’ proprietary system or package names; rather, they are meant to achieve clearer and consistent information on window stickers, owner’s manuals and other marketing materials on generic system components.

At this time, five categories have been created to group technology by type. The naming list will be continually refined as these organizations work with stakeholders and policymakers and as new systems come to market. Download the full, current list here. 

The five categories and current terms included are: 

• Driving Control Assistance

  • Adaptive Cruise Control

  • Active Driving Assistance

  • Lane Keeping Assistance

• Collision Warnings

  • Blind Spot Warning

  • Forward Collision Warning

  • Lane Departure Warning

  • Parking Obstruction Warning

  • Rear Cross Traffic Warning

• Collision Intervention

  • Automatice Emergency Braking

  • Automatic Emergency Steering

  • Rear Automatic Braking

• Parking Assistance

  • Active Parking Assist

  • Remote Parking 

• Other Driver Assistance Systems

  • Automatic High Beams

  • Backup Camera

  • Driver Monitoring 

  • Head-Up Display

  • Night Vision

  • Surround-View Camera

These terms are not meant to replace automaker proprietary system or package names, but rather help identify key functions within those packages and provide clarity to consumers, according to the groups. This naming list will be continually refined as the groups work with stakeholders and policymakers and as new systems are developed.