High-Visibility Clothing May Be Invisible to Modern Car Safety Systems, Study Finds

According to a recent study, automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in modern cars may be unable to detect pedestrians and cyclists wearing high-visibility clothing. This revelation raises concerns about the effectiveness of these safety systems.

Cyclists wearing high-visibility clothing in Hyde Park, London.

AEB systems, now standard in all new cars, are designed to apply the brakes automatically when a potential collision is detected, assuming the driver does not react quickly enough. However, research conducted by the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicates that these systems may struggle with reflective materials.

The IIHS study involved crash tests using a dummy and three car models: a Honda CR-V, a Mazda CX-5, and a Subaru Forester. The tests were conducted at 25 mph. The Honda and Mazda collided with the dummy when it was wearing reflective strips. Furthermore, the Honda failed to slow down when the dummy wore a high-visibility jacket. The Subaru, on the other hand, slowed down in all tests except when the dummy wore reflective strips in low light conditions.

IIHS president David Harkey emphasized the need for car manufacturers to address this issue. He stated that the clothes worn by pedestrians, cyclists, and road workers for safety might make them harder for collision avoidance technology to recognize. He added that this is a worrisome “blind spot.”

Mazda responded to the findings by declaring road safety as a top priority and stating that their engineers are constantly working to improve their crash avoidance systems.

Both Honda and Subaru were approached for comment.