YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – Nissan is developing a new collision avoidance technology it’s calling an “Autonomous Emergency Steering System.” The automaker stated the system applies automatic braking and steering when a collision is imminent and avoiding obstacles via braking alone wouldn’t be enough to prevent the collision.

The system uses information from a front-mounted radar system and camera, two left and right rear radar systems, and five laser scanners attached at various places on the vehicle to determine whether to act. The system also simultaneously checks whether there is an area ahead of the vehicle that’s free of obstacles, that no vehicles are approaching from behind the vehicle, and displays to the driver the direction the driver should steer the vehicle. If the driver can’t steer, the system takes over.

The automaker added that this program is part of its “Vision Zero” safety goal, which is to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Nissan said it uses a “Safety Shield” concept, which consists of six stages of driving conditions from “normal” to “post-accident,” and attempts to provide the most effective safety measures at each stage. The automaker said it based its new Autonomous Emergency Steering System on this concept.

In addition to this vehicle-specific technology, Nissan is also developing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.