Clip from a AAA video of a pedestrian detection emergency braking system testAAA Cars equipped with pedestrian avoidance technology are a step in the right direction, but much more development is needed for them to be truly effective, a new AAA study, covered by Consumer Reports, shows.The systems in the four cars the group tested struggled, and ultimately failed, to find pedestrians at night, or upon executing right-hand turns at low speed. They also failed to avert disaster when at speeds of 48 km/h or higher.It’s a signal to manufacturers, and a reminder to consumers, that while technology to reduce pedestrian deaths is needed and being implemented, it has some severe limitations. You cannot hand over control of your car and disengage from the complex task of driving, no matter how many systems are being touted. Pedestrian detection is used in combination with automatic emergency braking systems; if the car detects a pedestrian the driver doesn’t, it will alert the driver and start to take action to slow or stop the car. It uses cameras, radar and sensors that allow the car to “see” a pedestrian, and should be very effective in urban areas at speed limits of up to 30 km/h. The AAA study is alarming because the four different vehicles they tested – Tesla Model 3, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu – delivered underwhelming results.In daylight, at 32 km/h, the cars hit an adult pedestrian 60 per cent of the time. Even worse, “none of the test vehicles avoided a collision (or even mitigated the impact speed) with a pedestrian crossing the road immediately after the test vehicle, traveling at 15 mph (24 km/h), made a right-hand turn.”If you’re a little one, forget it: “If the test vehicles came across a child darting into traffic from in between two cars, with the test vehicle traveling at 20 mph (32 km/h), a collision occurred 89 per cent of the time; at 30 mph (48 km/h), none of the test vehicles avoided a collision.”Are we there yet? Nope. Don’t take your eyes from the road, be aware of your surroundings and don’t count on your car to save those around you — just
Origin: Pedestrian avoidance technology much less effective at higher speeds: study
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All electric cars to have pedestrian warning noise
New rules coming into force today (1 July) dictate that all new fully electric vehicles must be fitted with an audible warning device to aid safety. In response to concerns that EVs pose a risk to pedestrians at low speed, the new ‘Regulation on the Sound Level of Motor Vehicles’ calls for silent vehicles to emit a sound when travelling at speeds under 12mph, or reversing. An acoustic vehicle alert system (AVAS) will generate a noise similar to that made by conventional combustion engines, and can be deactivated when judged necessary by the driver. The devices will be fitted to all new EVs with at least four wheels sold in the UK henceforth, and hybrid vehicles from July 2021 onwards. Roads minister Michael Ellis said: “The government wants the benefits of green transport to be felt by everyone, and understands the concerns of the visually impaired about the possible hazards posed by quiet electric vehicles. “This new requirement will give pedestrians added confidence when crossing the road.” A number of manufacturers, including Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota, already have some sort of AVAS fitted to their electric vehicles. Jaguar has equipped the I-Pace electric SUV with a system specifically tuned for the visually impaired, developed in conjunction with UK charity Guide Dogs for the Blind. The new law comes as part of a government drive to facilitate the mass roll-out of zero-emissions vehicles. The sale of new combustion-engined vehicles is set to be banned in the UK from 2040 onwards, although government advisors recently called for this to be brought forward to
Origin: All electric cars to have pedestrian warning noise
Future pedestrian intersections could predict when you’ll cross
Successfully navigating a crossing requires pedestrians and drivers to be mutually aware. Big Brother is watching, and he wants you to cross the road safely. In an attempt to improve pedestrian and traffic flow, and reduce jaywalking, the City of Vienna has ordered a research project to look at the potential future of the pedestrian intersection. Researchers at TU Graz’s Institute of Computer Graphics and Vision claim to have hit upon an “intelligent pedestrian traffic light” system that uses cameras to identify when people are ready and waiting to cross the road and automatically prompt lights to change. In doing so, the system would not just create efficiencies for those on foot – not to mention remove the terrible strain of having to push a button (ouch!) – but improve traffic flow as well by continuously monitoring and anticipating pedestrian movement. “The green phase can be extended in the case of large groups of persons, who require more time to cross the road,” explained Horst Possegger from the Institute of Computer Graphics and Vision. “And if persons leave the waiting area before the lights have turned to green, this is also passed on to the lights. The traffic lights subsequently don’t switch to green and there are no unnecessary waiting times for motorised traffic.” According to the release, the cameras mounted on the traffic lights need just one second to pick up a pedestrian and predict their intent, and another second to deem that prediction “reliable.” Creepy or cool? We say bring on the cameras, Big Bro. Ain’t nobody got time for buttons anyway.
Origin: Future pedestrian intersections could predict when you’ll cross
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