New crash test data raises concerns about the effectiveness of automatic emergency brakes.
The safety systems only prevented 1 of 40 crashes with oncoming vehicles in AAA testing.
AAA crash testing on four vehicles with reverse automatic emergency braking shows the safety systems rarely prevented a crash.
The systems are designed to detect rear cross-traffic and automatically apply brakes to avoid colliding with other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, or stationary objects.
But in testing with oncoming vehicles, while backing out of a parking spot, the safety systems only prevented a crash in 2.5% of the tests.
The systems did better with a stationary child. They successfully prevented crashes in 10 of 20 of those test runs, 50%.
“It clearly tells us that these technologies can be a useful tool to alert you to something behind you, but they’re not going to spare you the task of having to use your eyes and ears and pay full attention to make sure the coast is clear before you back up,” said Mark Schieldrop with AAA Northeast.
In 2023, federal regulators at NHTSA announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to require Automatic Emergency braking in all passenger vehicles.
Right now, automakers decide the standards or technologies they use to provide the braking systems.
If there is a federal regulation, NHTSA would set safety standards and rules for how the automatic braking would have to work.
It’s regulation mother Amy Cohen has been fighting for. Her son Sammy was just 12 when he was hit and killed while walking to soccer practice. She believes Automatic Emergency Braking could have saved his life.
“His death was preventable. He should be turning 23 years old this year,” Cohen said.
NHTSA’S plan is nearly 300 pages long, with specifics of how these systems would have to work to meet federal standards. Regulators believe that will lead to better performing systems.
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