Automated eyes have trouble seeing too.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, (IIHS) is starting a night time test of pedestrian automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to address the high percentage of pedestrian crashes that occur on dark roads. IIHS introduced the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation in 2019 and made an advanced or superior rating a requirement for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award in 2020.
However, since reaching a low point in 2009, federal estimates for 2021 show pedestrian crash deaths have risen ~80%. The ~7300 pedestrians killed in 2021 accounted for almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities. Three-quarters of those fatalities occur at night, when research shows most pedestrian AEB systems are less effective.
A recent IIHS study found that the technology slashed pedestrian crashes by more than a quarter overall for equipped vehicles. Nevertheless, there was zero difference in crash risk for equipped and unequipped vehicles at night on unlit roads. Research tests conducted as part of the development of the IIHS nighttime evaluation also showed substantial declines in performance in dark conditions. Four of the first 23 midsize cars, midsize SUVs and small pickups tested earn the highest rating of superior, but more than half earn a basic score or no credit.
“As we expected, most of these pedestrian AEB systems don’t work very well in the dark,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “But it’s clear automakers can rise to this new challenge, as Ford, Nissan and Toyota each earn superior ratings for some models.”
Ratings
- Superior: Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander.
- Advanced : Honda Accord, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Murano, Subaru Ascent and Subaru Outback.
- Basic: Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Ford Maverick, Ford Ranger, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen Tiguan.
No credit: the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima and Toyota Tacoma don’t perform well enough in the dark to earn any credit.
In the daylight test, 19 of those 23 vehicles listed above earn superior or advanced ratings. ”It’s discouraging that so many mid-size SUVs and small pickups perform poorly in the nighttime test because research suggests these types of vehicles are more dangerous to pedestrians,” says Harkey.
How the IIHS Night Time Testing Works
The nighttime test includes two common pedestrian crash scenarios, an adult crossing the road and an adult walking along the road at the edge of the travel lane. The ambient illumination surrounding the test track must remain below 1 lux, about the amount of light cast by a full moon, throughout the evaluation.
The evaluation doesn’t include a third scenario used in the daylight test that simulates a child darting into the road from behind two parked cars. The scenario isn’t part of the nighttime evaluation because few child pedestrian fatalities occur at night.
The crossing test is conducted at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the parallel test is conducted at 25 and 37 mph. Scores are awarded based on the average speed reductions in five repeated test runs on dry pavement. Separate trials are conducted with the headlights on the high beam and low beam settings, and scores are adjusted if the vehicle is equipped with high beam assist that automatically switches on the high beams when no other vehicles are nearby.
“The idea is to weight the score according to the beam setting that’s most likely to be switched on at the time of a potential crash,” says David Aylor, vice president of active safety at IIHS, who designed the new program.
For systems that use cameras, the ratings apply only to vehicles equipped with the specific headlight systems used for the evaluation because the quality of the headlights may also affect performance. An advanced or superior rating in the nighttime test will become a requirement for the Top Safety Pick+ award in 2023.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Night Testing Scores of Pedestrian Automatic Braking Poor
Automated eyes have trouble seeing too.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, (IIHS) is starting a night time test of pedestrian automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to address the high percentage of pedestrian crashes that occur on dark roads. IIHS introduced the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation in 2019 and made an advanced or superior rating a requirement for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award in 2020.
However, since reaching a low point in 2009, federal estimates for 2021 show pedestrian crash deaths have risen ~80%. The ~7300 pedestrians killed in 2021 accounted for almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities. Three-quarters of those fatalities occur at night, when research shows most pedestrian AEB systems are less effective.
A recent IIHS study found that the technology slashed pedestrian crashes by more than a quarter overall for equipped vehicles. Nevertheless, there was zero difference in crash risk for equipped and unequipped vehicles at night on unlit roads. Research tests conducted as part of the development of the IIHS nighttime evaluation also showed substantial declines in performance in dark conditions. Four of the first 23 midsize cars, midsize SUVs and small pickups tested earn the highest rating of superior, but more than half earn a basic score or no credit.
“As we expected, most of these pedestrian AEB systems don’t work very well in the dark,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “But it’s clear automakers can rise to this new challenge, as Ford, Nissan and Toyota each earn superior ratings for some models.”
Ratings
No credit: the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima and Toyota Tacoma don’t perform well enough in the dark to earn any credit.
In the daylight test, 19 of those 23 vehicles listed above earn superior or advanced ratings. ”It’s discouraging that so many mid-size SUVs and small pickups perform poorly in the nighttime test because research suggests these types of vehicles are more dangerous to pedestrians,” says Harkey.
How the IIHS Night Time Testing Works
The nighttime test includes two common pedestrian crash scenarios, an adult crossing the road and an adult walking along the road at the edge of the travel lane. The ambient illumination surrounding the test track must remain below 1 lux, about the amount of light cast by a full moon, throughout the evaluation.
The evaluation doesn’t include a third scenario used in the daylight test that simulates a child darting into the road from behind two parked cars. The scenario isn’t part of the nighttime evaluation because few child pedestrian fatalities occur at night.
The crossing test is conducted at 12 mph and 25 mph, and the parallel test is conducted at 25 and 37 mph. Scores are awarded based on the average speed reductions in five repeated test runs on dry pavement. Separate trials are conducted with the headlights on the high beam and low beam settings, and scores are adjusted if the vehicle is equipped with high beam assist that automatically switches on the high beams when no other vehicles are nearby.
“The idea is to weight the score according to the beam setting that’s most likely to be switched on at the time of a potential crash,” says David Aylor, vice president of active safety at IIHS, who designed the new program.
For systems that use cameras, the ratings apply only to vehicles equipped with the specific headlight systems used for the evaluation because the quality of the headlights may also affect performance. An advanced or superior rating in the nighttime test will become a requirement for the Top Safety Pick+ award in 2023.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.