Automatic emergency braking systems can certainly help prevent collisions with vehicles and pedestrians. However, when it comes to pedestrians, it seems that many of these systems suffer from the same flaws as humans. They see less well when the sun goes down.
That’s according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on the effectiveness of automatic braking systems after dark. According to the organization, 75% of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians occur after dark. A new series of tests was therefore launched to evaluate these systems under night-time conditions. The results weren’t good, as only four out of 23 vehicles scored higher, the highest score possible. Seven others received an advanced rating. In comparison, 19 of the same 23 scored higher or ahead in daytime conditions.
The top-ranked vehicles were the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry, Toyota Highlander and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Of these, only the Pathfinder avoided a collision with a pedestrian in all scenarios. At the other end of the spectrum, the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu get zero marks, as these vehicles barely slowed down or continued at full speed during all tests. Eight other vehicles received a base rating.
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“Eight of the 12 vehicles that score Basic or No Credit in the night test scored Higher or Advanced in the daytime evaluation,” said David Aylor, vice president of active safety at the IIHS and designer of the new test program.
Night tests involve several situations at different speeds, using both high and low beams. An adult crossing the road and an adult walking parallel are the two most common situations; these tests are carried out at 12 mph and 25 mph for the crossing tests, and at 25 mph and 37 mph for the parallel.
“As we expected, most of these pedestrian AEB systems don’t work very well in the dark,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “But it’s clear automakers can rise to this new challenge, as Ford, Nissan and Toyota are each getting higher ratings for certain models.”
Automatic emergency braking systems can certainly help prevent collisions with vehicles and pedestrians. However, when it comes to pedestrians, it seems that many of these systems suffer from the same flaws as humans. They see less well when the sun goes down.
That’s according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on the effectiveness of automatic braking systems after dark. According to the organization, 75% of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians occur after dark. A new series of tests was therefore launched to evaluate these systems under night-time conditions. The results weren’t good, as only four out of 23 vehicles scored higher, the highest score possible. Seven others received an advanced rating. In comparison, 19 of the same 23 scored higher or ahead in daytime conditions.
The top-ranked vehicles were the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry, Toyota Highlander and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Of these, only the Pathfinder avoided a collision with a pedestrian in all scenarios. At the other end of the spectrum, the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima, and Chevrolet Malibu get zero marks, as these vehicles barely slowed down or continued at full speed during all tests. Eight other vehicles received a base rating.
36 Pictures
“Eight of the 12 vehicles that score Basic or No Credit in the night test scored Higher or Advanced in the daytime evaluation,” said David Aylor, vice president of active safety at the IIHS and designer of the new test program.
Night tests involve several situations at different speeds, using both high and low beams. An adult crossing the road and an adult walking parallel are the two most common situations; these tests are carried out at 12 mph and 25 mph for the crossing tests, and at 25 mph and 37 mph for the parallel.
“As we expected, most of these pedestrian AEB systems don’t work very well in the dark,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “But it’s clear automakers can rise to this new challenge, as Ford, Nissan and Toyota are each getting higher ratings for certain models.”
