Sept. 2, 2022—Crash tests have revealed that automated braking systems do not perform well at night.
According to Kelley Blue Book, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested 23 vehicles that had a 2022 model year. The tests were to see if these models braked for adult-size mannequins.
Mannequins were positioned to be crossing the street or walking parallel to the road. Tests were conducted at 12 mph and 25 mph for the crossing mannequins. Tests were conducted at 25 mph and 37 mph for the parallel mannequins.
Daytime results revealed that 19 out of 23 vehicles had an Advanced or Superior rating. At night, those numbers dropped to 11 out of 23.
The IIHS categorized vehicles using the following criteria:
- Basic: the vehicle warned the driver to stop (Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Ford Maverick, Ford Ranger, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen Tiguan)
- Advanced: the vehicle warned the driver and reduced speed to avoid a crash during one of the tests (Honda Accord, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Murano, Subaru Ascent and Subaru Outback)
- Superior: vehicles that avoided a crash in both tests (Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry and Toyota Highlander)
The Chevy Malibu, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima and Toyota Tacoma did not perform well enough to receive any kind of rating.
