Our cars today are full of advanced features that are designed to keep us safer, but just like a person who puts milk in their bowl before the cereal, it doesn't mean you should trust them.
New AAA research reveals flaws in vehicle technology, especially features that brake automatically while driving in reverse.
"Although this technology has proven to significantly reduce rear-end collisions, they are not foolproof," AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said in a statement. "Our testing resulted in collisions with mock vehicles and pedestrians. So, drivers should remain alert and not become overly reliant on the technology."
AAA studied four vehicles that combine Reverse Automatic Emergency Braking (reverse AEB) and rear cross traffic mitigation and used a closed-course environment to test their performance in challenging scenarios. These systems are designed to detect rear cross-traffic and automatically apply brakes to avoid colliding with other cars, pedestrians, cyclists or stationary objects.
According to the results, reverse AEB systems automatically applied brakes in 65% of test runs and prevented a collision in 2.5% of test runs in the context of backing-up scenarios involving a subject vehicle crossing behind the test vehicle. With a stationary child target behind the test vehicle, reverse AEB automatically applied brakes in 75% of test runs and prevented a collision in 50% of test runs.
Reverse AEB is reported to be the most effective driver assistance system in terms of property damage liability claim reductions. Reverse 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.
"Drivers should not rely on reverse AEB systems to prevent collisions when backing up. Instead, consider the use of backup cameras and other sensors as a way to enhance your awareness," AAA said.
"Always back up cautiously, especially when an object obstructs your view. Pause once the rear of the vehicle has cleared the obstruction to give these sensors time to detect a potential collision and bring the vehicle to a stop," the auto club added.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that every year, there are approximately 210 fatalities and 15,000 injuries caused by back over collisions. Of those fatalities, approximately 31% are children under 5-years-old.