Auto Safety Systems Struggle to Work in the Dark

About 3/4^th of all pedestrian deaths occur at night.  One common automobile safety system does not work well in the dark to prevent that danger. The automatic braking system that engages when a vehicle detects an object close by has particular trouble seeing pedestrians after dark in some car models.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety almost half of the ABS braking system (12 out of 23) received a basic rating or no rating at all on sedans, midsized SUVs, and trucks. The ABS systems failed to detect or slow adequately for dummies acting as pedestrians when the vehicle was operating after dark. The results of this testing will likely lead to closer scrutiny of the ABS system after serious injuries to pedestrians following accidents at night.  In situations where the automatic braking system does not operate properly causing a severe injury, a product liability claim could exist against a car manufacturer.

This is particularly important in the suburban environments throughout Collin and Denton County, particularly in the fall and winter. With college campuses in McKinney, Plano, Celina, Farmersville and TWU, and University of North Texas in Denton, there is a large amount of pedestrian traffic in and around these campuses and city centers. High school football season will soon be in full display at the beautiful stadiums throughout North Texas as well. Friday nights in North Texas always see full stadiums and many nighttime pedestrians. Be careful out there. Drivers: Keep an eye out for pedestrians and let’s all get home safely.