Driving while distracted is nothing new, but new distractions for drivers pop up all the time. While carmakers and tech companies have worked to keep drivers from checking their phones, the most effective safety features may be the technology that is laying the foundation for autonomous cars.

This advanced driver-assistance technology can automatically bring a vehicle to a stop when a collision is imminent, and lane-departure systems that keep the vehicle between the lines are immune to distraction.

“These systems don’t care if you’re looking at the radio or engaged in conversation,” said Ian Reagan, senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Three years ago, four teenagers were driving home from spring break in Texas when their Hyundai Elantra suddenly veered into the lane of oncoming traffic, where an 18-wheeler slammed into it, killing three of them.