To rate autobrake systems from different manufacturers, a series of five test runs at 12 and 25 mph were conducted. An engineer drove the vehicle toward a stationary target that simulates the back of a car. Sensors in the test vehicle monitored its lane position, speed, time-to-collision, braking and other data.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, aka IIHS, is now rating the performance of front-crash avoidance systems. The insurance industry funded group wants to “encourage” automakers to increase adoption of the expensive technology at $1,000 or more per vehicle.
These systems are needed largely because of the distracted driving epidemic that automakers are enabling with an endless array of touchscreens and connected car options. (Smart Phones for Dummies – a Modest Proposal, Automaker Defense of Hands-Free Devices Hooey AAA Says, U.S. DOT Publishes Distracted Driving Guidelines and Infotainment Systems Transform Instrument Panels)
Current front-crash avoidance systems are either forward collision warning, front crash mitigation and/or prevention with autobrake. The rating system is based on research by the Highway Loss Data Institute claiming that forward collision warning and automatic braking systems are helping drivers avoid front-to-rear crashes.
IIHS rates models with optional or standard front-crash prevention systems as “superior, advanced or basic,” depending on whether they offer autonomous braking, dubbed autobrake, and, if so, how effective it is in tests at 12 and 25 mph. Vehicles rated superior have autobrake and can avoid a crash or substantially reduce speeds in both tests. For an advanced rating, a vehicle must have autobrake and avoid a crash or reduce speeds by at least 5 mph in one of two tests.
To earn a basic rating, a vehicle must have a forward collision warning system that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration performance criteria. For a NHTSA endorsement, a system must issue a warning before a specified time in five of seven test trials under three scenarios. The agency identifies vehicles with compliant systems as part of its online ratings.
Moderately priced and luxury midsize cars and SUVs are the first to be evaluated in the new IIHS test program. These include 74 vehicles, all 2013-14 models. Seven earn the highest rating of superior when equipped with optional autobrake and forward collision warning systems. They are the Cadillac ATS sedan and SRX SUV, Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan, Subaru Legacy sedan and Outback wagon, Volvo S60 sedan and XC60 SUV.
Six models earn an advanced rating when equipped with autobrake and forward collision warning. These include the 2014 Acura MDX SUV, Audi A4 sedan and Q5 SUV, 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, Lexus ES sedan and the 2014 Mazda 6 sedan.
In addition, the Volvo S60 and XC60 earn an advanced rating when they are not equipped with an option called Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and Pedestrian Detection. The S60 and XC60 are the only models in the new test program with standard autobrake. Marketed as City Safety, the system brakes to avoid a front-to-rear crash in certain low-speed conditions without warning the driver before it takes action.
Twenty-five other vehicles earn a basic rating. Three models available with forward collision warning earn higher ratings when equipped with autobrake. They are the 2014 Acura MDX and the Cadillac ATS and SRX. Thirty-six models either do not offer a front-crash prevention system or they have a system that does not meet NHTSA or IIHS criteria.
