{"id":133917,"date":"2019-02-21T13:15:30","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T18:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=133917"},"modified":"2019-02-21T13:24:33","modified_gmt":"2019-02-21T18:24:33","slug":"new-iihs-tests-show-wide-disparity-in-automakers-pedestrian-crash-avoidance-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2019\/02\/new-iihs-tests-show-wide-disparity-in-automakers-pedestrian-crash-avoidance-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"New IIHS Tests Show Wide Disparity in Automakers\u2019 Pedestrian Crash Avoidance Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The BMW X1 failed the IIHS pedestrian test, sending the dummy airborne during the exercise.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pedestrian fatalities have been on a rapid rise in recent years, something some experts blame on the shift to blunt-nosed utility vehicles. Whatever the reason, automakers are under pressure to find ways to reduce the problem.<\/p>\n

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has launched a study to evaluate and compare the performance of new pedestrian crash avoidance technology and the first pass found wide disparity between the 11 small SUVs put to the test. The majority of the vehicles earned top ratings, but two performed poorly, the BMW X1 sending a crash dummy \u201cairborne\u201d when it failed to come to a stop.<\/p>\n

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News Now!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe want to encourage manufacturers to include pedestrian detection capabilities as they equip more of their vehicles with automatic emergency braking systems,\u201d said David Aylor, the IIHS manager of Active Safety Testing. \u201cWe also want to arm consumers with information about these systems so they can make smart choices when shopping for a new vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the past decade, pedestrian fatalities have jumped by almost 50% \u2013 about 6,000 killed in 2017, the most recent year for which full data are available. The IIHS last year issued a report that suggested one of the reasons fatalities are on the rise is use of SUVs which tend to have taller, blunter front ends than sedans and coupes.<\/p>\n

(IIHS unveils Top Safety Pick Plus models for 2019. <\/em>Click Here<\/a><\/span>\u00a0for the story.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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These four SUVs finished at the top of the latest round of IIHS testing for pedestrian crashes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Automakers have begun responding to the problem in a variety of ways. That includes passive technology, such as front ends designed to soften the impact. In Europe, where regulators have been more aggressive, some vehicles even use airbag-like systems that raise the hood slightly to absorb some impact forces when a pedestrian is tossed atop the vehicle.<\/p>\n

In the U.S., the big focus has been on technology designed to detect when a pedestrian is in the vehicle\u2019s path. Some systems sound a warning but others actually apply the brakes, if needed, to prevent an impact.<\/p>\n

The Institute\u2019s testing focuses on three common scenarios where such systems might be deployed:<\/p>\n