The objective of this work is to examine advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), with notable potential for road safety and traffic efficiency improvement, and to propose an impact oriented classification of these systems. Based on the traffic and safety features analysis, the distinct phases in the accident process are often used for the classification of the driver assistance systems. On the other hand when functional analyses of the driver assistance systems characteristics are addressed, these systems are classified based on the supported levels of driver tasks. The results of this work might be used to support decisions related to the adoption and market penetration of the most promising ADAS systems.