Driver assistance systems, designed to improve safety, sometimes cause sudden and dangerous braking. Testimonials and analysis of a worrying phenomenon.
Their names are Paul, Patrick, Georges, Stephan, Martine… They all experienced the same scare: sudden braking for no apparent reason, triggered by their car’s driver assistance systems. These ‘phantom braking’ incidents occur on motorways, in towns and cities, and sometimes even when pulling out of a garage. ‘At 120 km/h on the A8, my VW Tiguan braked hard, the steering wheel locked up and the car came to a standstill straddling the lane,’ says Patrick K., still shaken by the incident. ‘Luckily, there was no one behind me. Otherwise, there would have been an accident.’ ‘ Paul S., owner of a Volvo V60, mentions activations ’twice a year‘ and errors in reading road signs. Georges B., driving a Skoda Kodiaq, saw his car go ’from 25 km/h to zero in half a second in front of a school,” and his grandson was shaken up in the back seat. As for Stephan L., a former car tester, he chose to disable automatic braking: ‘Without it, my car would have braked a dozen times for no reason. Imagine a motorbike behind you…’
Martine is still shaken by the experience of her Skoda braking suddenly on the motorway. Stefan D., meanwhile, has identified the exact locations where these phantom braking incidents occur: “My vehicle, a recent BMW, regularly experiences phantom braking at two specific locations: one in Remich and the other in Colmar-Berg, provided that cruise control is activated. The car will soon be four years old, has never been in an accident, is parked in a closed garage every night, and the windscreen is cleaned after every journey… In short, there are no factors that could explain this phenomenon.”
Reading the numerous testimonials collected from ACL members, a clear trend emerges: there are many cases involving a wide variety of brands. The causes? Difficult to determine. Most of the people who agreed to testify emphasise that dealerships are taking the issue seriously: checking the vehicle, sometimes immobilising it for several days to carry out updates, recalibrating the sensors… but without providing clear and detailed explanations.
However, the issue remains a cause for concern and could pose a real danger to motorists. ‘These systems are supposed to save lives, but their reliability is far from guaranteed,’ warned Dr Yves Wagner, president of the ACL, in his editorial published in the latest issue of Autotouring. ‘On the contrary, they can create extremely dangerous situations,’ he added.
For manufacturers, the subject remains sensitive, even if their rhetoric is reassuring. In most cases, when questioned, brands highlight the technological advances that have led to a reduction in the number of accidents.
Mercedes, for example, points out that ‘Active Brake Assist can make a decisive contribution to accident prevention. Unfortunately, false warnings or braking cannot always be avoided in the interests of safety. This is particularly true when systems are designed to be more efficient and responsive,’ before adding: ‘It is important to remember that these systems are developed with safety as the top priority. We are constantly improving our algorithms to minimise false positives. The ongoing development and refinement of these technologies promise a future where emergency braking systems will offer extremely reliable protection, with an absolute minimum of unjustified activations.’
No cases reported in Luxembourg
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported in Luxembourg in connection with these phantom braking incidents. In France, more than 400 reports have been collected in a few months, and at least one fatal accident has been attributed to this phenomenon: a driver saw her car go from 130 km/h to zero in three seconds, causing the death of her passenger. In Germany, similar cases have been reported on the A8 and A40 motorways. In Belgium, the IBSR (Belgian Institute for Road Safety) has launched an investigation after receiving several reports.
In Luxembourg, no cases have been officially reported. At least, that is what the Luxembourg Institute for Standardisation, Accreditation, Safety and Quality of Products and Services (ILNAS) claims: ‘To date, ILNAS has not received any complaints or information from consumers on the subject of “phantom braking”,’ it says. The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works echoes this sentiment: ‘The Ministry is not aware of any phantom braking incidents in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.’
However, the testimonies we have collected are clear. Several people admit that they did not take the time to report their experience to the authorities. “Due to lack of time and information. I admit that, as it was “only” a big scare in the end, I didn’t take it any further. It’s a shame, because I think it’s still important,” says Martine, who says she feels a sense of powerlessness.
But another big question haunts the victims of phantom braking: in the event of an accident, who will be liable? And the answer seems particularly delicate. ‘It is highly likely that the driver will be held responsible, as they must remain in control of their vehicle,’ says a source close to the authorities, before adding: “In any case, it will be necessary to prove that the system failed and to have good support in order to know who to turn to. ”
It should be noted that in France, the Ministry of Transport has launched a national investigation, is questioning manufacturers and is planning tests. A questionnaire has been distributed to motorists to identify cases. In Germany, the KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) has requested detailed reports from manufacturers and may impose recalls.
What do we know about phantom braking?
These incidents are linked to AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking) systems, which have been mandatory on all new vehicles in Europe since 2022. Designed to prevent collisions, they use sensors, radars and cameras to detect obstacles and brake if the driver does not react. However, several factors can trigger untimely braking:
– Environmental conditions: rain, fog, low sun, shadows.
– Calibration errors after windscreen replacement or repair.
– Software bugs or missing updates.
– Interference with other systems (adaptive cruise control, lane assist).
Have you ever been the victim of phantom braking?
Here is a short questionnaire to share your experience of phantom braking:
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