By Chris Genovese, the “Marketing Guy”
“Ride it like you’re invisible,” might be some of the best advice that any new rider can receive. We’ve all heard it and likely repeated it, and now it seems to be even more appropriate when you consider the results of a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
They set out to study the effectiveness of today’s Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems for detection of pedestrians in low lighting situations. So they set up an adult sized crash test dummy in the middle of a simulated crosswalk, testing its AEB “visibility” under different levels of lighting and with different colors of clothing (black, white, and retroreflective). Then they had three different 2023 AEB equipped vehicles, including a Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, and a Subaru Forrester, travel towards the “pedestrian” dummy at 25 mph.
The study yielded unexpected results:
· Reflective Strips and Jackets: Both the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5 failed to “see” the dummy wearing reflective strips or a retroreflective jacket, resulting in collisions in 84% and 88% of the test runs, respectively. Notably, these vehicles did not slow down at all when the dummy wore reflective attire!
· Standard Clothing: Interestingly, the same vehicles exhibited better performance when the dummy wore black or white clothing. For instance, the Honda CR-V slowed down slightly when the dummy wore black clothing under dim (10 lux) illumination and reduced speed by 39% under better lighting (20 lux). When the dummy wore white clothing, the vehicle almost came to a complete stop under dim lighting (10 lux) and slowed by 62% under brighter lighting (20 lux).
· Subaru Forester Performance: The Subaru Forester demonstrated superior detection capabilities, avoiding collisions in all but one trial, where it slowed by 82% when the dummy wore reflective strips under dim (10 lux) lighting conditions.
The crux of the issue lies in how AEB systems process visual information. Reflective materials are designed to catch and reflect light, making them highly visible to the human eye. However, AEB systems utilize sensors and algorithms that may not interpret reflected light in the same way. The motion and placement of reflective strips, especially on joints and limbs, create patterns that human drivers recognize as people. Unfortunately, these patterns can apparently confuse some AEB systems, leading to detection failures.
Of course, these findings are also particularly troubling for riders that wear reflective clothing, such as those of us with retroreflective rain gear, not to mention those brave souls that work on our roads. The results suggest that, while such clothing increases visibility to human drivers, it may inadvertently render riders and pedestrians even less “visible” to today’s vehicle AEB systems.
Given these findings, we recommend that motorcycle riders consider the following precautions:
1. Diversify Visibility Measures: While reflective gear remains essential, riders might also want to simultaneously deploy other visibility aids, such as LED lights or brighter, non-reflective clothing, to ensure detection by both human drivers and a vehicle’s AEB sensors.
2. Stay Informed and Cautious: Keep abreast of developments in vehicle safety technology and understand how different systems may interact with rider visibility gear. Note also that some of the safety features that are approved and released for sale to the general public have NOT been adequately tested for the safety considerations of motorcycle riders.
3. Advocate for Improved Technology: Engage with motorcyclist rights associations like ABATE, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to advocate for better testing and improvements to vehicle AEB systems, ensuring they can accurately “see” and avoid all road users, regardless of attire.
It seems logical to assume that vehicle technology will continue to evolve, and hopefully progress. At the same time, drivers will continue to rely more and more on technology and be less and less engaged in the activity of driving. So let’s all continue to ride like we’re invisible and stay as safe as we can!
And God forbid, if a negligent driver or a faulty vehicle system causes an injury to you or someone you know or love, call the lawyers at the Kantor Gullo Law Firm for a free consultation.
