Here’s a major step forward in helping car buyers understand the meaning of car technology buzzwords, especially the terms for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). This is a list of 19 terms primarily for single safety features that have described in as many as 40 different ways by various automakers. An industry-affiliated consortium has agreed on terms for 19 ADAS terms such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking.

Most terms are for single pieces of technology. Nothing stops an automaker from employing a unique, company-specific umbrella term for a collection of multiple technologies, such as Ford Co-Pilot 360 or Nissan Safety Shield, says Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, one of the groups that got the effort underway. The others are AAA, JD Power & Associates, and the National Safety Council.
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