Although crashes are relatively rare events, nearly 40,000 individuals are killed in motor vehicle crashes annually in the United States. Another 5 million are injured and the societal costs exceed $137 billion annually. These are unacceptable statistics that can be significantly reduced by improving the collision avoidance capabilities of motor vehicles. The maturity of advanced technologies provides the opportunity for major breakthroughs in assisting drivers to avoid crashes. This paper provides a status update on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) program to facilitate development and early deployment of cost-effective, user-friendly collision avoidance systems. The program includes an expanding crash avoidance knowledge base;​ development of a vital set of research tools, including the National Advanced Driving Simulator;​ identification of crash avoidance opportunities;​ examination of key human factors and system design issues;​ and development of performance specifications for crash avoidance products and systems. These specifications will define performance characteristics in engineering and human factors terms and will help guide product development toward achievement of maximum safety potential