Photo: IIHS
Many cars on the market today are fitted from the factory with autonomous emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection. There are models that get the system as an option, and some do not have such systems at all. With that in mind, the IIHS has tested the effectiveness of AEB.
As research has revealed, statistics in the U.S. show that automobiles that come fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking had 27 percent fewer collisions with pedestrians than cars without them. Researchers also found that vehicles with AEB had 30 percent fewer collisions that caused pedestrian injury in a collision.
In other words, having a vehicle with this system that can slam the brakes when a collision with a pedestrian is imminent will reduce the risk of a collision, or will mitigate the effects of the collision. The latter can mean the difference between life and death for the pedestrian, or the difference between being really scared of being hit by a car and actually being hit by one.
Pedestrian crash deaths have risen by 51 percent since 2009, and data shows that 6,205 pedestrians were killed by a car in 2019. It means that almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities was represented by people getting hit by vehicles. Moreover, almost 76,000 people (about the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) suffered non-fatal injuries that year after being hit by vehicles.
Research has shown that AEB with pedestrian detection makes a difference on streets that have speed limits of 35 mph (ca. 56 kph) or less, where it works best and probably ensures a full stop in most cases. On the other hand, on roads where speeds pass the 50-mph (ca. 80 kph) mark, AEB systems do not make any difference in the number or severity of pedestrian collisions.
With that in mind, you are probably thinking that these systems should become mandatory, and that road safety will be improved if most cars on the road had them. Well, so did the IIHS and EuroNCAP back in Europe.
Since this study was made by the IIHS, we will stick with what they did, which was to only offer the Advanced or Superior rating in vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention tests back in 2019. Back then, just one in five tested vehicles had such systems, but in 2021, almost nine in ten had It, and almost half of the systems they tested earned Superior ratings.
Estimates have shown that the odds of a vehicle-to-pedestrian crash will be reduced by 32 percent in the daylight for a vehicle that has AEB with Pedestrian Detection, and by 33 percent in areas with artificial lighting during dawn, dusk, and nighttime.
Sadly, there is no difference between a vehicle with AEB and one without it in areas without artificial light at night. What is even more concerning is the fact that 75 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes happen in poorly lit or entirely unlit conditions.
Moreover, tests have shown that AEB systems do work when the road is straight, but have little to no effect if the vehicle is exiting or entering a corner and encounters a pedestrian.
Fortunately, there have been vehicles that provided decent performance after dark when AEB was concerned, as was the case with the 2021 Toyota C-HR and the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The two models come with systems that use both cameras and radar, which provided improved performance in the dark.
It is important to note that the IIHS only tested eight models for this test, but these covered all the systems out there, which range from single-camera, dual-camera, single-camera, and radar, as well as radar-only systems. The 2022 Volkswagen Taos was a radar-only vehicle, and it was the only one unaffected by the reduction of light, but it did have the worst performance in the daytime test out of the pack.
What can you do to prevent getting hit by a vehicle? Look both ways before crossing, while always keeping your eyes on the road to ensure that no vehicle is dangerously close to you. Abandon the maneuver if you see a vehicle that is rapidly approaching. At night, be sure to wear at least one element of clothing that is reflective.
In other words, having a vehicle with this system that can slam the brakes when a collision with a pedestrian is imminent will reduce the risk of a collision, or will mitigate the effects of the collision. The latter can mean the difference between life and death for the pedestrian, or the difference between being really scared of being hit by a car and actually being hit by one.
Pedestrian crash deaths have risen by 51 percent since 2009, and data shows that 6,205 pedestrians were killed by a car in 2019. It means that almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities was represented by people getting hit by vehicles. Moreover, almost 76,000 people (about the seating capacity of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) suffered non-fatal injuries that year after being hit by vehicles.
Research has shown that AEB with pedestrian detection makes a difference on streets that have speed limits of 35 mph (ca. 56 kph) or less, where it works best and probably ensures a full stop in most cases. On the other hand, on roads where speeds pass the 50-mph (ca. 80 kph) mark, AEB systems do not make any difference in the number or severity of pedestrian collisions.
With that in mind, you are probably thinking that these systems should become mandatory, and that road safety will be improved if most cars on the road had them. Well, so did the IIHS and EuroNCAP back in Europe.
Since this study was made by the IIHS, we will stick with what they did, which was to only offer the Advanced or Superior rating in vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention tests back in 2019. Back then, just one in five tested vehicles had such systems, but in 2021, almost nine in ten had It, and almost half of the systems they tested earned Superior ratings.
Estimates have shown that the odds of a vehicle-to-pedestrian crash will be reduced by 32 percent in the daylight for a vehicle that has AEB with Pedestrian Detection, and by 33 percent in areas with artificial lighting during dawn, dusk, and nighttime.
Sadly, there is no difference between a vehicle with AEB and one without it in areas without artificial light at night. What is even more concerning is the fact that 75 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes happen in poorly lit or entirely unlit conditions.
Moreover, tests have shown that AEB systems do work when the road is straight, but have little to no effect if the vehicle is exiting or entering a corner and encounters a pedestrian.
Fortunately, there have been vehicles that provided decent performance after dark when AEB was concerned, as was the case with the 2021 Toyota C-HR and the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. The two models come with systems that use both cameras and radar, which provided improved performance in the dark.
It is important to note that the IIHS only tested eight models for this test, but these covered all the systems out there, which range from single-camera, dual-camera, single-camera, and radar, as well as radar-only systems. The 2022 Volkswagen Taos was a radar-only vehicle, and it was the only one unaffected by the reduction of light, but it did have the worst performance in the daytime test out of the pack.
What can you do to prevent getting hit by a vehicle? Look both ways before crossing, while always keeping your eyes on the road to ensure that no vehicle is dangerously close to you. Abandon the maneuver if you see a vehicle that is rapidly approaching. At night, be sure to wear at least one element of clothing that is reflective.
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