AAA Says Pedestrian Detection Systems Don’t Work Well at Night

#News(General) [ via IoTGroup ]

If you can’t see a pedestrian, don’t expect your car to either, says AAA.
The organization recently conducted a study on pedestrian-detection systems, which are supposed to spot people walking into the path of a car and warn the driver or, in some cases, apply the brakes.
But AAA found these systems don’t work reliably at night — exactly when most pedestrian fatalities occur, the organization noted.
AAA tested four sedans — a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019 Honda Accord, 2019 Toyota Camry, and a Tesla Model 3 — equipped with both pedestrian detection and autonomous emergency braking, which automatically applies the brakes if the car believes a collision is imminent.
Tests were conducted on a closed course with “simulated pedestrian targets,” according to AAA.
At night, none of the four systems reacted to — or even detected — the pedestrians, according to AAA.
That’s especially troubling, as 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur after dark, AAA noted.
With two adults standing along the side of the road with their backs to traffic, and the car again traveling at 20 mph, a collision occurred in 80% of tests.
A collision also happened in every test of a car encountering a pedestrian immediately after making a right turn.
But even in that scenario, collisions still occurred 40% of the time, according to AAA.
Drivers should not rely on pedestrian-detection systems to avoid collisions, according to AAA.
Drivers should also be extra cautious at night, AAA said.
Pedestrians can do their part to increase safety as well, according to AAA.
Just like drivers, pedestrians must remain alert at all times, and avoid distractions such as texting, AAA noted.
General Motors, manufacturer of the Chevy Malibu used in the AAA tests, released a statement in response to the study results.
GM said that the technologies in question “have been proven to reduce crash speeds or help avoid crashes altogether.

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