The US AAA is warning drivers to be weary of automated vehicle safety systems after a study revealed that technology designed to avoid collisions when reversing was successful in just 2.5 per cent of vehicle-to-vehicle tests and 50 per cent effective in vehicle-to-pedestrians scenarios.
“Although this technology has proven to significantly reduce rear-end collisions, they are not foolproof,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for the AAA – The Auto Club Group, adding that drivers should remain alert and not become overly reliant on the technology.”
The AAA studied four popular 2023 vehicles that combine reverse automatic emergency braking and rear cross traffic mitigation, which is designed to avoid collisions with other cars, pedestrians, cyclists or stationary objects.
Three tests were developed for the evaluation:
- A: Reversing out of a parking space into the path of an oncoming vehicle, with the test car perpendicularly parked
- B: Reversing out of a parking space into the path of an oncoming vehicle, with the test car in an angled parking spot
- C: Reversing out of a parking space into the path of a stationary child pedestrian
Aggregated results for scenarios A and B showed the systems automatically applied the brakes in 26 of 40 test runs – 65 per cent – and prevented a collision in one of 40 test runs – 2.5 per cent. Results for scenario C revealed the systems automatically applied the brakes in 15 of 20 test runs – 75 per cent – and prevented collision in 10 of 20 test runs – 50 per cent.
“Reverse AEB is reported to be the most effective ADAS in terms of property damage liability claim reductions, while injury and fatality reductions were less pronounced than that of front AEB,” said the AAA. “Backing collisions usually happen between vehicles at a significantly lower speed, resulting in a lower injury and fatality rate relative to collisions that may be mitigated by front AEB. However, children are particularly susceptible to back-over incidents in driveways and parking lots.”
According to the AAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that approximately 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries annually are caused by back-over collisions. Of the fatalities, approximately 31 per cent occur with children under five years old.
“Drivers should not rely on reverse AEB systems to prevent collisions when backing up. Even in the pedestrian scenario, with a stationary target and an unobstructed view throughout the test run, collision was only prevented on 50 per cent of runs,” the association said. “Drivers should remain fully aware of their surroundings, use backup cameras to enhance their awareness, and back up cautiously.”