Automated Braking Systems Fail to Detect 40% of Pedestrians at Night, Study Shows

Even under “ideal conditions” and moving at only 25 miles per hour, automated emergency braking systems failed to detect an adult-sized crash test dummy about 40 percent of the time after dark, researchers at AAA found. Streetsblog reports the research, which shows that while emergency braking systems are getting better, they are far from reliable. This includes the fact that in some cases, high-visibility clothing actually makes the technology less likely to spot a pedestrian in the dark.

“Researchers say that the auto industry's slow progress is yet another reminder not to entrust our safety future solely to machines — especially when 7,318 pedestrians were killed by drivers in 2023 alone, and 77 percent of them were struck at night,” Streetsblog writes.