The German Automobile Club (ADAC) is advocating for a mandatory legal requirement for the installation of automatic emergency braking systems for reversing in vehicles. The club stated on Tuesday that the technology is now mature and has the potential to significantly reduce the number of accidents occurring during reversing maneuvers.
Data from Allianz indicates that approximately 25% of pedestrian collisions happen when vehicles are reversing. Furthermore, reversing incidents cause roughly €4.5 billion in damages annually.
A recent ADAC test evaluated ten vehicles equipped with rear-facing automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, assessing their responsiveness to both stationary and moving obstacles. The test showed that systems from BMW, Volvo, Ford and Volkswagen successfully avoided all simulated collisions. Hyundai’s system exhibited minor shortcomings, while systems from Mercedes, Skoda and BYD demonstrated instances of missed objects or delayed braking responses.
ADAC believes these systems hold considerable potential for accident prevention, estimating that around half of reversing accidents could be prevented with AEB technology. Many vehicles already possess the necessary sensors and in numerous cases, a software update could facilitate the retrofitting of the system.
Currently, automatic emergency braking for forward motion has been mandated in new passenger vehicles across the EU since mid-2024. However, a similar regulatory framework for reversing maneuvers is currently lacking. ADAC is urging legislators to address this gap and implement a requirement for rear-facing AEB systems.