Autoblog

IIHS considering autonomous braking, other tech as part of crash evaluations

Zach Bowman — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:58:00 EST

Automakers are constantly working to make their vehicles safer than ever before, and while much of that effort is spent in areas the public will never see, recent years have welcomed a rash of more highly visible advancements. Those include autonomous-emergency braking (AEB) systems like Volvo City Safety and Mercedes-Benz Pre-Safe Braking, as well as lane departure warnings and adaptive headlights. While most of these systems still function largely as optional equipment on luxury vehicles, there's a growing push to see some of them go mainstream. The European Commission and Euro NCAP have indicated AEB technology will be a part of European crash evaluations beginning in 2014.

According to The Telegraph, studies suggest the move could save as many as 8,000 lives per year by reducing accidents by up to 27 percent while saving more than $6.12 billion. Given the push for ever more interchangeable global products, it seems unavoidable for U.S. crash evaluation bodies to follow suit. Russ Rader, a spokesperson with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, tells Autoblog his organization has already commenced research on that front.

"The IIHS is looking at a number of crash avoidance technologies to determine how effective they are in real world driving," Rader said.

IIHS has compiled significant insurance data for crashes involving vehicles both with and without ABE systems.

"Based on the evidence of the effectiveness of auto-brake systems, we expect them to be added to our evaluations in the future."

When is that, exactly? Rader isn't certain, though when it happens, the difference between having AEB and not will likely differentiate between which models go home with a Top Safety Pick designation and which do not.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was not immediately available for comment as to whether or not the government agency is considering a similar move for its crash worthiness evaluations.

IIHS has also seen evidence indicating adaptive headlight systems greatly reduce the risk of crashes as well, which means the lighting may also play a part in crash evaluations moving forward.

Despite the substantial human and trickle-down monetary benefits, additional lighting and AEB systems remain expensive and not widely available. The Telegraph found AEB to be available on just 22 percent of vehicles on sale in Europe right now.

IIHS considering autonomous braking, other tech as part of crash evaluations originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

IIHS study says most crash avoidance tech actually working [w/video]

Chris Tutor — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Acura, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Luxury

Are collision avoidance systems, automatic braking and adaptive headlights worth their extra cost? A study by the Highway Loss Data Institute says yes.

Those three new automotive technologies seem to reduce crashes. Matt Moore, VP of HLDI says, "So far, forward collision technology is reducing claims, particularly for damage to other vehicles, and adaptive headlights are having an even bigger impact than we had anticipated."

The study "how each feature affected claim frequency under a variety of insurance coverages for damage and injuries." The analysts says their data indicates that avoidance systems offered on Acura and Mercedes-Benz lowered property damage liability (PDL) claims by 14 percent. Volvo models equipped with similar equipment saw a 10-percent improvement.

Volvo's numbers, however, may have been skewed by the fact their system is bundled with lane departure and fatigue warning devices. The study surprisingly showed that lane departure alert systems seemed to actually increase crash claims.

"Lane departure warning may end up saving lives down the road, but so far, these particular versions aren't preventing insurance claims," Moore says. "It may be that drivers are getting too many false alarms, which could make them tune out the warnings or turn them off completely. Of course, that doesn't explain why the systems seem to increase claim rates, but we need to gather more data to see if that's truly happening."

The HLDI is a non-profit affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

See video below for more information from David Zuby, chief research officer with IIHS.

Continue reading IIHS study says most crash avoidance tech actually working [w/video]

IIHS study says most crash avoidance tech actually working [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Safety, Technology, Videos

From the 2014 model year, any manufacturer hoping to score five stars on the Euro NCAP safety ratings will need to make sure the vehicle in question is equipped with AEB, or Autonomous Emergency Braking. Among other features provided by systems like Pre-Safe from Mercedes-Benz and Collision Mitigation Braking System from Honda, it warns a driver if their closing speed on the vehicle ahead is outside of a preset safe braking parameter, and if they neglects to make any inputs, the vehicle will brake for him and prep the safety systems.

A study by the Euro NCAP organization found that "Real world performance data suggests AEB systems can reduce accidents by up to 27%," but it is only available on 21 percent of the cars sold in Europe. The organization hopes to speed fitment of the system to the remaining 79 percent of autos sold in Europe by putting them out of reach of the five-star rating.

The European Union wants to cut down on the current rate of auto fatalities by 50 percent, getting them down to 15,000 per year, by 2020. Euro NCAP secretary general Michiel van Ratingen said AEB could save 8,000 lives per year, and that following te introduction of AEB testing, enhanced pedestrian safety systems would join the testing protocol from 2016. We're guessing the U.S. government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be watching this development closely.

Check out a video explaining auto-braking technology from Euro NCAP by scrolling down.

Continue reading Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video]

Euro NCAP will soon require auto-braking for five-star safety rating [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments