A new study from AAA indicates autonomous emergency braking systems are only sporadically effective in detecting pedestrians at speeds above 30 mph. AAA spokesperson Don Redman says the findings are a reminder to drivers to stay alert.
“Never assume that your vehicle is going to be able to brake for you. Every driver needs to remain vigilant behind that wheel when pedestrians are present because we saw the test results weren’t that impressive,” said Redman.
The study shows the detection systems are completely useless at night, which is when 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur. Redman says pedestrian deaths have been on the rise since 2010.
“We’ve even seen it in Louisiana, a big number in the increase of pedestrian fatalities in the past year. Nationwide, about 6000 pedestrians are killed by vehicles,” said Redman.
Redman says AAA encourages improvements to the technology, as braking systems do work well in avoiding collisions with other drivers.
“When you are talking about rear-end avoidance, those systems are really worth their weight, but when it comes to pedestrians, not so much,” said Redman.
