Automatic emergency braking, as well as four additional active safety features proven to reduce crashes, will be set as standard equipment on 98% of General Motors 2023 model year vehicles, the company announced May 31.

This encompasses every new electric vehicle launching this year, including the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV.

GM is on track to meet a previously signed industry commitment to make automatic emergency braking standard on 95% of all new vehicles sold. 

Because of this advocacy and collaboration among automakers, more new vehicles than ever will now provide this key active safety feature as standard equipment.

GM has now also gone a step further to make these four additional active safety features standard on most of its 2023 model year vehicles:

• Forward collision alert.

• Front pedestrian braking.

• Lane keep assist with lane departure warning.

• IntelliBeam auto high-beam control.

“GM has gone well beyond the safety commitment we made to our customers for the 2023 model year, with a handful of additional standard safety features shown to bring real-world results,” said John Capp, director of global safety technology and strategies at General Motors, in a news release.

GM is using safety research data to guide option packages that make the most beneficial features more widely available.

A 2023 University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) study examining these GM safety features indicated automatic emergency braking, together with forward collision alert, reduced rear-end striking crashes by 42%.

“As we look ahead toward a future vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, these technologies are significant building blocks with proven benefits for reducing common crashes,” Capp said.

Additional GM safety features have shown positive results. Front pedestrian braking reduced front pedestrian crashes by 23% and lane keep assist with lane departure warning reduced roadway departure crashes by 15%.

A 2022 UMTRI study also indicated IntelliBeam reduced nighttime crashes with animals, pedestrians, and bicyclists by 22%.

The Cadillac LYRIQ, and the all-new 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, provide these five standard active safety features and usher in a new generation of front sensors with an expanded field of vision and added benefits.

Available benefits of this new sensor suite include:

• Extending automatic emergency braking operation up to 80 mph.

• Adding bicyclist automatic emergency braking to front pedestrian braking operation.

• Providing smoother lane keep assist engagement.

• Adding blind zone steering assist, which provides a brief, firm turn of the steering wheel to help avoid lane change crashes.

Additional future products will gain these same advancements in upcoming model years.

GM’s latest affordable internal combustion engine products also reflect the company’s standard active safety features.

Models as affordable as the 2024 Chevrolet Trax, with a starting price of $21,495, will feature standard automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning and IntelliBeam headlights.

The Trax, along with the 2024 Buick Envista, provides customers more options for new vehicles priced well below $30,000.

Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver's responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. The driver should remain attentive to traffic, surroundings and road conditions at all times. Visibility, weather, and road conditions may affect feature performance.