Impact of IIHS Auto Brake Technology
In March 2016, the automotive industry received exciting news regarding vehicle safety. Although this announcement has actually been available in the United States since 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also known as NHTSA, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have announced that automatic emergency braking (AEB) will become "standard". on virtually all new vehicles sold in the US by 2022.” In other words, thanks to this mutual agreement between over 20 different major automakers and the US government, all new vehicles will be sold with automatic emergency braking included in their safety features starting this year. Since this has been seen mostly as a "luxury" feature for some time, this is both exciting and revolutionary news for automotive safety innovation and development.
Automakers' press releases online are full of praise for this announcement. Automotive manufacturers including Audi, BMW, General Motors and Toyota - to name but a few - have already started equipping their vehicles with their own AEB systems, and each of them is praising this new foundation of vehicle safety. Shortly after the NHTSA announcement, Toyota released a statement that it planned to standardize its AEB systems "on almost every model by the end of 2017" and General Motors even went so far as to initiate "newly open active safety testing." area” caused by the AEB requirement. It's safe to say the industry is excited too.
Impact on safety
Automatic Emergency Braking, or AEB, is a safety system controlled by its own computer that can detect and avoid a collision by braking the vehicle without driver intervention. The NHTSA predicts that requiring "automatic emergency braking will prevent an estimated 28,000 collisions and 12,000 injuries." This seemingly unanimous praise is understandable given these and other safety statistics released by the NHTSA regarding collision and injury prevention.
While it is natural to rejoice at any progress in vehicle safety, many drivers and those connected with the automotive world are wondering what exactly this change means for considerations such as the purchase price of a new car, the cost of repair parts, and the time spent on maintenance. maintenance and repair. diagnostics. However, the more answers to these questions, the more the AEB requirements cause excitement for all involved.
How the AEB system works
The AEB system has a very important job. As soon as one of its sensors is activated, it should determine in a split second if the car needs braking assistance. It then uses other systems in the car, such as horns from the stereo, to send a brake warning to the driver. If a detection has been made but the driver does not respond, then the AEB system will take action to autonomously control the vehicle by braking, turning, or both.
While AEB systems are specific to a car manufacturer and will vary in both name and form from one car manufacturer to another, most will use a combination of sensors to notify the computer of activation, such as GPS, radar, cameras, or even precise sensors. lasers. This will measure vehicle speed, position, distance and location to other objects.
positive effects
The amount of positive information in the automotive world regarding the NHTSA announcement abounds, especially regarding its biggest issue: safety results. It is well known that most car accidents are caused by drivers. In normal braking, reaction time plays a huge role in stopping to avoid a collision. The driver's brain processes the car's speed along with road signs, lights, pedestrians, and other vehicles that move at different speeds. Add to that modern day distractions like billboards, radios, family members, and of course our favorite cell phones, and our CDs are doomed to distraction.
Times are indeed changing and the need for AEB systems in all vehicles allows us to keep up with the times. This introduction of advanced technology can actually compensate for driver errors because, unlike the driver, the system is always on guard, constantly watching the road ahead without being distracted. If the system works correctly, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Collisions that do occur will be less severe thanks to the quick response of the AEB system, which protects not only the driver but also the passengers. IIHS states that "AEB systems can reduce auto insurance claims by as much as 35%."
But will there be additional maintenance costs? AEB systems are pretty much set up with sensors and a computer that controls them. Thus, scheduled maintenance should (and for many car dealers already includes) also include these checks at little or no additional cost.
Negative effects
Not everyone is unanimously positive about AEB systems. Like any other new technology that claims to be revolutionary, AEB systems raise some questions and concerns. First, the technology does not work perfectly – it takes trial and error to get effective results. Currently, some AEB systems are still in the early stages of production. Some promise to bring the car to a complete stop before a collision, while others only activate when an accident inevitably reduces the overall impact. Some can recognize pedestrians while others can currently only detect other vehicles. A similar situation occurred with the introduction of an additional restraint system, as well as anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control. It will take time before the system becomes completely foolproof.
Common complaints about AEB systems include phantom braking, false positive collision alerts, and collisions that occur despite the AEB function. Keep this in mind when driving a vehicle equipped with AEB.
As mentioned earlier, the system will not be the same for everyone, since each automaker has its own software engineers with their own ideas of what the system should do. This can be seen as a drawback as it results in huge differences in how automatic braking works. This creates a new challenge for mechanics to keep up with the many different AEB systems that vary from one manufacturer to another. These trainings and upgrades may be easier for dealers, but not so easy for private independent shops.
However, even these shortcomings can be viewed from the positive side. The more vehicles equipped with the AEB system, the wider the use of the system will be, and when and if accidents occur, manufacturers will be able to review the data and continue to make improvements. This is a great thing. There is a very likely future in which all vehicles will be automated, which will reduce accidents and hopefully clear traffic in densely populated areas.
It's not a perfect system yet, but it's getting better, and it's interesting to see where that takes us in automotive technology. It's safe to assume that both car owners and mechanics would agree that the benefits that an AEB system brings to safety far outweigh the disadvantages.
