Pedestrian fatalities remain at an all-time high but technology could help change that troubling statistic.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s latest tests on vehicles with automatic braking offer hope.
“These systems are always attentive, they are always looking for obstacles ahead including other vehicles or pedestrians,” says IIHS Manager of Active Safety Training David Aylor.
Aylor says nine out of 11 small SUVs recently tested earned an “Advanced” or “Superior” rating for pedestrian crash prevention.
“It will warn the driver and then apply the brakes to mitigate or avoid the crash with the pedestrian,” he explains.
The Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Toyota Rav4 and Volvo Xc40 earned superior ratings, while the most recent Chevy Equinox, Hyundai Kona, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue earned an advanced rating.
“We would like to see this technology on more vehicles and we would like to see it as standard equipment,” Aylor says.
