4 ms·

I'm actually curious whether there are any trustworthy studies showing that driving automation helps safety, for any type of automation. I can buy the claim tha

I'm actually curious whether there are any trustworthy studies showing that driving automation helps safety, for any type of automation. I can buy the claim that emergency braking helps (although not as much as one would expect [0]). But is there good data that shows that cruise control helps? Lane keeping? [0] https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/4/20898773/aaa-study-automatic-emergency-braking-pedestrian-detection https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/4/20898773/aaa-study-automa...

tialaramex 6y ago
That AAA test uses a disintegrating dummy. So it looks really bad - the pedestrian gets smashed to pieces. But notice the car stops in most of these sequences almost immediately afterwards. That's because the vehicle was already braking, significantly reducing the impact energy, but it was hard to see because the AAA chose to shoot it in the most dramatic way. The article does mention the main things Americans could do if they actually wanted to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths, which they don't - stop buying SUVs and other oversize vehicles that disproportionately kill pedestrians.
- sam_goody 6y ago
  I suspect that most Americans care more about not killing themselves than in preventing overall number of deaths. The chances of surviving in an oversize vehicle are disproportionately higher than in a tiny car (what I have heard referred to as an "aluminum covered electric bike").
  - bagacrap 6y ago
    yes, it's an arms race/prisoners dilemma, which is why the government needs to step in and align incentives. Personally I think a danger tax (similar to gas guzzler taxes) makes sense.
- KKKKkkkk1 6y ago
  The pedestrian dummies in the AAA tests are standard test dummies. They disintegrate so that the test driver does not get hurt in the case of an impact. The video looks really bad not because the AAA staged it this way, but because it's really bad when a vehicle driving at 20 mph in broad daylight hits a pedestrian that's stationary or moves slowly along a line.
nradov 6y ago
Emergency braking and automated cruise control appear to help a little but lane keep assist has no safety benefit. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/benefits-from-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-are-growing-new-hldi-study-finds https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/benefits-from-advanced-driv...

tialaramex 6y ago

That AAA test uses a disintegrating dummy. So it looks really bad - the pedestrian gets smashed to pieces. But notice the car stops in most of these sequences almost immediately afterwards. That's because the vehicle was already braking, significantly reducing the impact energy, but it was hard to see because the AAA chose to shoot it in the most dramatic way. The article does mention the main things Americans could do if they actually wanted to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths, which they don't - stop buying SUVs and other oversize vehicles that disproportionately kill pedestrians.

sam_goody 6y ago
I suspect that most Americans care more about not killing themselves than in preventing overall number of deaths. The chances of surviving in an oversize vehicle are disproportionately higher than in a tiny car (what I have heard referred to as an "aluminum covered electric bike").
- bagacrap 6y ago
  yes, it's an arms race/prisoners dilemma, which is why the government needs to step in and align incentives. Personally I think a danger tax (similar to gas guzzler taxes) makes sense.
KKKKkkkk1 6y ago
The pedestrian dummies in the AAA tests are standard test dummies. They disintegrate so that the test driver does not get hurt in the case of an impact. The video looks really bad not because the AAA staged it this way, but because it's really bad when a vehicle driving at 20 mph in broad daylight hits a pedestrian that's stationary or moves slowly along a line.

nradov 6y ago

Emergency braking and automated cruise control appear to help a little but lane keep assist has no safety benefit. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/benefits-from-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-are-growing-new-hldi-study-finds https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/benefits-from-advanced-driv...