Effectiveness of Pedestrian Crash Avoidance Technologies: Comparing Day vs. Night Performance

Details

• Creators:
  Khattak, Asad J. ; Bayati, Zeinab ; Mahdinia, Iman ; Moradloo, Nastaran
• Corporate Creators:
  Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; University of New Mexico
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Automatic braking
  • Crash avoidance systems
  • Daylight
  • Night
  • Pedestrian detectors
  • Pedestrian safety
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Research Report (June 2025)
• Corporate Publisher:
  Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Abstract:
  Rising pedestrian fatalities and injuries underscore a critical safety concern. With Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (P-AEB) systems increasingly prevalent in vehicles, there is a growing effort to enhance crash avoidance technologies. However, P-AEB performance varies, particularly at nighttime, when most pedestrian fatalities occur. This study evaluates P-AEB systems by analyzing 2,494 test cases (1,654 at night and 840 during the day). Tests involve 42 Society of Automotive Engineers Level 1 automated vehicles, manufactured between 2021 and 2024, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. All tests were conducted with no driver intervention. The research has two parts: the first assesses deceleration and detection rates, while the second focuses on crash occurrences and impact speed. Detection rates were highest during the day (98%), lower at night with low beams (87%), and somewhat improved at night with high beams (93%). Of detected tests, crashes occurred more often at night, 23% with low beams compared to only 10% during daytime, and at higher speeds. Additionally, analysis revealed that low beam halogen headlights significantly reduce detection (up to 43%) compared to daytime, emphasizing the need to enhance P-AEB effectiveness in poor lighting conditions. Extending P-AEB system activation times can reduce crash probabilities by up to 32%. The study also examines how pedestrian behavior and vehicle characteristics, such as size and fuel type, correlate with P-AEB effectiveness. These insights can enhance pedestrian safety by refining P-AEB performance across various lighting conditions, addressing research gaps, and supporting future advancements in vehicle safety technology.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348336
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/93234/dot_93234_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.66 MB]
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0714210059b413f4a56de53b15a7f759a1bc46d6a642f93911866cff0f3561cbec0e88e024af0cc0362b8922684d76ac807ae499f1a1ad806ddf9f6a8567e4a8