ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems)
Advanced driver assistance systems
The umbrella term for electronic aids like automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, and lane keeping. Read what each system requires of the driver.
ADAS is the collective name for the sensors and software that watch the road alongside you. NHTSA groups them into warning systems, such as forward collision warning and blind spot warning; intervention systems, such as automatic emergency braking; and driving control assistance, such as adaptive cruise control and lane centering or lane keeping assistance.
Three shopping realities. First, availability is a trim and package matter: two cars from the same range can differ in what is standard, so check the specific trim. Second, manufacturers use different names for similar technologies, which NHTSA notes can confuse shoppers, so compare what each system does rather than what it is called. Third, safety ratings cover some of these functions: from 2026 Euro NCAP assesses crash avoidance as one of four pillars, and NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings list recommended technologies such as automatic emergency braking.
Whatever an option package is called, read the owner's manual to learn what the system requires of you. NHTSA advises the same.