Insurers tested the operation of the automatic braking system at night.
Experts from the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested cars to check how the automatic braking system works at night. The tests involved 23 models presented on the US market, and 19 of them either received a “satisfactory” rating or did not cope with the task at all. It turned out that only on four cars the system works properly regardless of the lighting - these are the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Camry and Highlander, as well as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
According to the IIHS, three-quarters of pedestrian-on-vehicle collisions occur at night. In order to study the behavior of security systems at night, insurers selected 23 popular models sold in the US and tested them in different scenarios. Only four cars braked in time in front of the pedestrian - a Nissan Pathfinder, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Toyota Camry and Highlander. However, only Pathfinder received the highest score, as its automatic braking systems worked correctly in all simulated situations.

Seven other cars - Honda Accord, Hyundai Palisade, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Murano, Subaru Ascent and Subaru Outback - fell short of the top marks. "Satisfactory" received Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Ford Maverick, Ford Ranger, Mazda CX-9, Volkswagen Atlas, Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and Volkswagen Tiguan.

The remaining four models, Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Pilot, Nissan Altima and Toyota Tacoma, were not rated at all - the automatic braking system at night could not recognize a pedestrian and did not work.

The IIHS has urged automakers to improve the effectiveness of emergency braking systems as pedestrian casualties rise. Since 2009, the number of such accidents has increased by 80 percent, and in 2021, 7.3 thousand pedestrians died on US roads, with the majority of accidents occurring at night.