Yahoo Autos IIHS to Begin Testing Pedestrian-Detection Systems
More and more new cars are offered with automated braking systems that scan the road ahead for a stopped vehicle or for a pedestrian stepping out into traffic, and should a driver not react, can apply the brakes automatically to avoid or mitigate a collision. The systems are proven to reduce crashes but are some more effective than others? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety soon will attempt to answer that question. The insurance-industry-funded organization has announced that it will add tests of the systems to its roster of new-vehicle safety evaluations-currently consisting of a series of crash tests as well as ratings of head-restraint and headlight effectiveness.
Three separate tests will be conducted. In the first, an adult-sized pedestrian enters the lane from the right side as the test vehicle approaches at 12 mph and again at 25 mph. The pedestrian is midway between the right side and the center of the vehicle. In the second test, a smaller, child-sized pedestrian enters the lane from between two parked cars (giving the systems less time to react), ending up at the center of the vehicle; again the test is conducted twice, at speeds of 12 and 25 mph. In the third test, an adult-sized pedestrian is in the lane, midway between the center and the right side of the car, which is traveling at 25 mph and again at 37 mph.
All tests are conducted on dry pavement in daylight. Vehicles' systems will be scored as "basic, advanced, or superior, based on their ability to avoid or mitigate a crash," the IIHS said in a statement.
The first vehicles tested will be small SUVs: the 2018 Mazda CX-5, BMW X1, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Kona, as well as the 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Volvo XC40.
At Car and Driver, we recently tested the effectiveness of automatic emergency braking systems in mitigating or avoiding crashes with a stopped or slow-moving car. Four vehicles were tested-a Cadillac CT6, a Subaru Impreza, a Tesla Model S, and a Toyota Camry. Of the group, the Impreza turned in the best performance overall although it wasn't tops in all four tests.
The IIHS expects to publish its results in late January.
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