Starting September 2029, all new cars sold in the United States will be required to include automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems as standard equipment. However, recent tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal that many of these systems still have difficulties detecting motorcycles.
Last year, the IIHS introduced specific tests to evaluate the ability of AEB systems to avoid frontal collisions with stopped cars, trailers, and motorcycles. The initial results were concerning: of the 10 vehicles tested, only one (the 2023/24 Subaru Forester) received a «good rating», while four were considered «poor» for failing to avoid impacts.
This year, the sample was expanded to 30 modern vehicles, and the results showed improvements. 16 models were classified as “good,” demonstrating the ability to avoid or significantly reduce collisions at speeds up to 69 km/h. However, seven models – including the Audi Q7 and Q8, Buick Envista, Chevrolet Tahoe and Trax, Kia Seltos, and Nissan Altima – performed poorly, colliding with the test motorcycle even at 50 km/h. Some of these vehicles barely reduced their speed before impact.
Models rated as «acceptable» also experienced difficulties. In tests at 69 km/h, all of them struck the motorcycle, some at still-high speeds, which represents a significant danger to motorcyclists.
The IIHS warns that more than 200 motorcyclists die every year due to rear-end collisions, making it essential that AEB systems be optimized to detect motorcycles more effectively. The institute’s president, David Harkey, acknowledged advances in the technology but cautioned: ‘Preventing collisions at higher speeds, especially against motorcycles, remains a challenge. Unlike car occupants, motorcyclists have little protection against impacts’.
For the safety of all motorcyclists, we hope manufacturers take this data seriously and quickly improve their systems.
Source: Cycleworld