AAA Finds Three of Four Vehicles Fail Turn Tests
Automatic emergency braking systems on four 2026 models were tested, with most failing to prevent collisions when another vehicle turned into their path.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Automotive — General
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AAA, with the Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center, tested four 2026 model-year vehicles equipped with intersection automatic emergency braking. Three of the four failed to prevent collisions when another vehicle turned into their path from a side road.
Why it matters
Intersection crashes involving turning vehicles are a common hazard, and the findings suggest current intersection braking systems may not cover every scenario drivers encounter. AAA has recommended that automakers, researchers, regulators and safety organizations expand testing to additional crash scenarios.
AAA ran 74 closed-course test runs on four 2026 model-year vehicles, with three striking a robotic soft target in every turn-into-path run. Five runs were planned per vehicle and configuration, and testing stopped for a configuration that failed to warn or brake during the first three runs.
The players
AAA
The American Automobile Association is a U.S. motorist advocacy and services organization known for its road safety testing and travel assistance.
Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center
The research center is the automotive testing arm of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a regional AAA affiliate that conducts vehicle safety evaluations.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA is the U.S. federal agency responsible for vehicle safety standards, crash-test programs and motor vehicle defect investigations.
Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP is the European New Car Assessment Programme, an independent vehicle safety rating organization that publishes crash-test results across Europe.
The details
Testing used a robotic soft vehicle to simulate another vehicle turning into the tested car's path, under controlled daytime conditions. All four vehicles avoided collisions in standardized left-turn tests, but removing the turn signal caused one vehicle to provide neither a forward collision warning nor automatic braking, and replacing robotic steering with manual steering did not change collision avoidance in the standardized scenario.
Timeline
2019: NHTSA developed a draft Intersection Safety Assist testing procedure.
2020: Euro NCAP introduced intersection testing protocols.
2022: AAA evaluated four vehicles without intersection AEB functionality.
November 13, 2026: AAA published its findings.
Roadmap
The AAA results build on NHTSA's 2019 draft Intersection Safety Assist testing procedure and Euro NCAP's 2020 intersection protocols, both of which pushed automakers toward systems that handle crossing and turning traffic. The findings suggest that the transition from basic automatic braking to intersection-aware systems is still incomplete.
Drivers who rely on automatic emergency braking for left turns and crossing traffic should not assume the system will prevent every turn-into-path collision. The findings are a reminder to stay attentive at intersections even in newer vehicles.
The takeaway
Automatic emergency braking is a useful safety aid, but the AAA results show it may not handle every intersection scenario. Drivers should keep watching for turning traffic instead of relying on the system alone.
Further reading
For broader context on vehicle safety technology, see Automotive — General.
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