The assessment of real-world effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is gaining importance as more and more systems enter the market. Many different approaches have been developed. Therefore, the automobile industry, universities, and automotive research institutes in Europe have started an initiative for cooperative research. A ‘Harmonization Group’ was established in 2012 whose motivation is the development of a comprehensive, reliable, transparent, and thus accepted methodology for quantitative assessment of these systems by virtual simulation.

The harmonization group focuses on prospective analysis, which has the objective to estimate the expected safety benefits of current and beyond-state-of-the-art applications. Commonly used methods for prospective analyses are FOT's, subject studies in driving simulators, on closed test tracks or on open roads, and virtual analyses by means of simulation. Currently, the basis for an assessment by virtual simulation can be obtained either from reconstructed real-world crashes or from generic synthetic scenarios derived from realistic distributions of pre-crash conditions and traffic. Simulations allow for large number of cases and thus are capable of fulfilling the requirements posed by a sound sample size calculation. Simulation is certainly not a sole generic solution for all kinds of research questions, but it represents an integrative method to combine different knowledge areas in order to achieve an overall effectiveness result. It offers a promising combination of speed, flexibility, reproducibility, and experimental control.

The expected outputs of the group activities are the following:​

• Identification of research questions (e.g. what changes in traffic safety can be expected due to the introduction of system X in country Y?);​
• Definitions and metrics of the effectiveness (e.g. % reduction in fatal/injury crashes in a specific country/Europe;​ total reduction in fatalities over a period depending on a penetration rate);​
• Structure for the assessment procedures including a description of the required sub-processes and the procedures to be followed;​
• Description of the basic abstract models that are used in the simulation:​ driver, vehicle, road, traffic, and safety systems. The driver model is used to simulate various driver responses to inputs from the environment and the signals of the ADAS in various driving situations, traffic conditions, cars, and environments;​
• Examples of the assessment of several ADAS (e.g. Lane Departure Warning, Advanced Cruise Control, Automated Emergency Braking).

The paper is a methodological paper presenting on-going activities of the Harmonization Group, so-called P.E.A.R.S. (Prospective Effectiveness Assessment for Road Safety), that involves more than 30 institutions in Europe. Applied results will come once the harmonized framework is completed and the validation tests on several driving assistance systems have been shown successful. Further the document is set up to deliver the appropriate input for a draft proposal of an ISO or SAE standard.

This activity is an opportunity to harmonize methodologies used for assessment of ADAS in Europe. The involvement of non-European based stakeholders allows for a worldwide harmonization impact. A comprehensive assessment theoretical framework as well as concrete techniques should become available for wide usage by all stakeholders involved in ADAS effectiveness assessment.