Nearly 6,000 Pedestrians Lose Their Lives Annually

On average nearly 6,000 pedestrians lose their lives every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Emergency braking systems can save lives. Many new cars are equipped with sensors that can detect a pedestrian and stop automatically if the driver doesn’t. But new research finds it’s not reliable.

AAA tested four midsize sedans. In one scenario, a child darted out from behind two cars. 90% of the time the technology failed to stop a vehicle traveling 20 miles per hour. Every time a car turned a corner it hit the pedestrian, and when a sedan going 20 miles per hour encountered two adults it hit them 80% of the time.

The results were even worse in the dark.

Earlier this year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found most SUVs tested during the day were able to avoid a crash with a pedestrian, or at least slow down.

Automakers have agreed to put auto breaking technology in almost all new cars by 2022. Experts hope it will be much better by then.