Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) has joined an effort of the adoption of standardized naming for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to help reduce consumer confusion.

The effort —  lead by AAA, the National Safety Council, Consumer Reports, JD Power, and SAE International — is intended to help educate consumers on the benefits, limitations and proper usage of these technologies by establishing standardized naming that is simple, specific, and based on system functionality.  

“We know that familiarity with today’s advanced safety technology helps consumers understand the possibilities of tomorrow’s technology. And we know that confusion about that technology reduces trust and confidence in vehicles today and vehicles under development for the future,” said PAVE Executive Director Tara Andringa. “PAVE’s mission is to help everyone join the conversation about our transportation future, and providing clear, consistent vocabulary for that conversation is an important step.”

Research by AAA found that as many as 20 names are used by different vehicle manufacturers in describing a single ADAS feature, increasing consumer confusion.

This nomenclature initiative is intended to improve safety and save lives by helping consumers to understand the technology by promoting clear, consistent information on content such as window stickers and owners’ manuals. The effort is not intended to replace manufacturers’ proprietary systems or package names.