Next time there is a big storm, you might want to delay your road trip as a new study from AAA has found that heavy rain has a significant impact on a vehicle's safety system's ability to "see."
AAA conducted a closed road test that simulated rainfall and other environmental conditions to measure the performance of a car's advanced driver assistance systems like emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.
The report found that both systems struggle when facing moderate to heavy rain. The testing on automatic emergency braking engaged while approaching a stopped vehicle in the lane ahead, resulting in collisions a third of the time while traveling at 35 mph. When traveling at 25 mph, a crash happened in 17% of test runs.
A test on lane-keeping assistance found that the vehicle veered outside of lane markers 69% of the time.
"These systems are normally evaluated in ideal operating conditions. The problem with that is people don't always drive in perfect, sunny weather," Adrienne Woodland, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group, said. "While these systems can be helpful for drivers, they are not perfect. So it's important that drivers be aware of their vehicle's limitations and remain fully engaged while behind the wheel, regardless of the weather."
When it comes to what drivers can do to be safe when driving in heavy rain, AAA recommends keeping the windshield clean and ensure that wipers are not streaking, slow down and avoid hard braking, increase following distance to 5-6 seconds behind the vehicle ahead, and avoid taking sharp turns.
