The death of pedestrians is increasing. These SUVs can help save lives



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The Institute tested 11 small SUVs equipped with pedestrian detection and automatic braking systems to determine if each vehicle identified someone on his way or about to cross it. Sport utility vehicles have been tested by encouraging them to adopt mannequins resembling human beings, so as to mimic real situations. These systems are based on cameras, computers and sometimes radars. They are available as standard equipment or optional on many cars and SUVs currently on sale.

The Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester, Toyota Rav4 and Volvo XC40 systems performed better on the Institute's tests, achieving a Superior rating. The systems of the Chevrolet Equinox, Hyundai Kona, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue were rated Advanced, the second highest rating. A Mitsubishi Outlander system was considered basic, which meant that it worked very well. A BMW X1 system has received no credit.

The BMW X1's anti-collision system did not react when a mannequin moves as he walked along the roadside.

The X1 system, which worked in two of the tests, did not respond at all in a scenario. During this test, the vehicle, traveling at 37 km / h, approached a manikin who "walked" along the roadside. The system used in the X1, an entry-level model, is not primarily designed to detect pedestrians, said BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky. In addition, it is a low-speed system designed to operate up to 60 kilometers per hour, or about 37 miles per hour. The BMW's speedometer may have been slightly faster, he said.

"We are constantly striving to improve systems and processes for accident prevention and accident prevention, and we will study the results of this series of tests when developing new vehicles and systems," said Jeremy Barnes. , spokesperson. for Mitsubishi Motors North America.

Most automakers have agreed to include automatic braking systems in their cars as standard equipment over the next few years. Basically, these systems are designed to automatically brake in the event of an imminent collision with another vehicle. Avoiding impacts with humans is a more difficult challenge.

People are much smaller than cars and SUVs and, since they're not made of hard metal, they are less visible by radar systems, said John Scally, chief engineer of active safety systems at the research center and development of Honda in the United States. Plus, people can move in ways that are difficult to predict and can often be hidden behind vehicles or among the crowd of other pedestrians. And they can ride a bike or push strollers, making their human forms difficult to distinguish.

Pedestrian detection by Kia Sportage has been rated as advanced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Most of these systems emit a flashing tone and lights that appear in the group of instruments or that are reflected in the windshield to warn the driver that a pedestrian hinders the passage. If the driver does not respond or if there is only a short time left, the vehicle will apply the brakes automatically. Even though the impact can not be avoided, simply slowing the vehicle can mean the difference between a minor injury and a death, said David Aylor, head of active safety testing at the Institute of Safety and Health. 39; insurance. During the tests of the Insurance Institute, some vehicles got good grades even though the manikin was finally hit.

Although the technology is relatively new, these systems have already made a difference in the real world, according to the Institute. Based on insurance statistics, the Institute found that Subaru's EyeSight system, available since 2012, reduced the rate of pedestrian insurance claims by 35%.

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