Automatic braking systems (AEB) with pedestrian detection can significantly reduce serious injuries or fatalities due to collision, but they have a weak point: darkness. The IIHS has verified the performance difference of these systems in the dark.
Traffic fatalities are getting worse, with some 7,300 people in the United States being hit and killed in 2021 alone. The automatic braking systems are needed more than ever at night, when three quarters of the abuses resulting in death.
Since 2019, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has conducted tests of automatic braking systems with pedestrian detection, but those tests have been done in the daytime. Starting next year, the nightly results will be taken into account as well.
were designed two simulated scenarios based on the most common accident data. In the first, a pedestrian is simulated crossing the road crosswise to the vehicle, between 19 and 40 km/h, and in the second, a pedestrian is simulated walking with his back to the vehicles, near the hard shoulder, between 40 and 60 km/h. h. The test is repeated several times.
This pedestrian appears suddenly in the eyes of the driver, without an automatic braking system, there is no time to react and brake
Ambient lighting cannot exceed 1 lumen per square meter, or what is the same, 1 lux, the natural light of the full moon. The tests are carried out with both the dipped beam and the high beam, and it is taken into account that there are models that have an assistant that automatically activates the high beam when there are no other vehicles.
As for vehicles with radar, given that they can detect pedestrians whether there is light or not, their scores are adjusted based on those obtained in the daytime scenario. This is the case of the three Volkswagens tested, but -oh surprise- this system does not give the best possible result.
All the models tested are from the 2022 range although there is no Tesla. Most are very representative models of what is sold the most in the United States and there are few coincidences with the European market. Yes indeed, Euro NCAP has not tested AEB systems with pedestrian detection at nightso let’s see if they get the message.
Chevy Malibu honda pilot nissan altima
Toyota Tacoma crew cab List of analyzed models, allmodel year
2022
Of the 23 vehicles tested, 19 had Superior or Advanced ratings in the daytime scenario, but that changes a lot when operating in just 1 lux of ambient lighting. Only 4 models have a Superior score, 7 receive the Advanced8 stay only with Basic, and the rest failed.
It is curious that within the same manufacturer there are so many differences
nissan pathfinder
, which avoided the run over in all cases. The rest of the models with a Superior score avoided cross-sectional collisions and slowed down quite a bit in the case of a pedestrian traveling on the road, when they were traveling at the highest speed of the test. Those marked as Advanced could not avoid any collision at 60 km/h in that case. Their effectiveness was greatly increased at lower speeds and with high beams, and most managed to avoid hitting the pedestrian in the crosswalk. With dipped beams the results were worse.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liQxaeGPHJg
As for those rated as Basic, at the higher speeds of the test they always ran over the pedestrian, although at lower speeds some were able to avoid being run over. As for the failures, they made no attempt to slow down and always ran over the dummy in all test conditions. These results can be extrapolated to urban areas rather than interurban ones, since it is common to go over 60 km/h on interurban roads, and avoiding being run over by a pedestrian without reflective elements and who is traveling backwards is very difficult. We remind you that pedestrians must go in the opposite direction to traffic, on the opposite shoulder to see the vehicles coming.From 2023, only models with a Superior score on the night stage will be eligible for the valuable accolade
TSP+ either
Top Safety Pick+ , which will stimulate manufacturers to refine their camera-based systems. The defenders of LiDAR have one more argument, they would facilitate -in theory- a greater efficiency of this type of security systems.Font:IIHS