'Self-driving' technology doesn't stop car crashing into dummy cyclist five times during safety testing
Subaru says it has improved its EyeSight assisted driving system for 2022, despite it repeatedly failing to detect a simulated cyclist crossing its path
An assisted driving system installed in a Subaru car failed to detect a dummy cyclist during testing by the American Automobile Association.
The Subaru Forester, equipped with the manufacturer's EyeSight driver assist technology did not react to a simulated bicycle rider five times under test conditions, and also failed to detect or slow to avoid a dummy vehicle during a simulated head-on collision, Reuters reports.
The other assisted driving technologies tested, a Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Santa Fe, both detected and braked to avoid collision with the dummy cyclist crossing their paths.
In another test, all three avoided a dummy vehicle and cyclist travelling in the same direction as their assisted driver technology cars.
Subaru spokesperson Dominick Infante told the new website that the brand would be looking into the AAA test to better understand the methodology, and said he currently does not have a detailed response, but insisted Subaru has improved its EyeSight driving system for the 2022 Forester.
Subaru's EyeSight uses cameras to monitor traffic movement and warns drivers if they sway out of their lane. It also offers pre-collision braking and throttle control and, in some models, cruise control which monitors the vehicle in front and maintains distance by adapting the driver's speed.
All three systems tested failed to avoid head-on collisions with dummy vehicles, prompting the AAA to conclude that current assisted driving technologies do not meet the standard of true autonomous driving.
In the AAA's test, each vehicle was put through four scenarios, including overtaking a dummy car travelling in the same direction as the test vehicle, overtaking a dummy cyclist travelling in the same direction, a 25mph head-on collision course with a dummy car, and avoiding a dummy cyclist crossing their path.
The dummy cyclist travelling in the same direction test and dummy vehicle travelling in the same direction test, were both successfully passed by all three vehicles.
However, the Hyundai and Subaru models did not appear to detect or react to avoid the dummy vehicle in a simulated head-on collision. The AAA said the Tesla Model 3 slowed to 3.2 miles per hour, but still collided with the oncoming dummy car.
Tesla has not commented on the study, while Hyundai said it "is reviewing the findings in AAA's report as part of our ongoing commitment to customer safety."
Help us to fund our site
We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99.
If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.
Latest Comments
Steve K
1 sec ago
So one should only take "sensible, self-protective safety measures" if they are in an official document?...
So one should only take "sensible, self-protective safety measures" if they are in an official document?...
Toasty Toe Tips. Aliteration chance somewhat missed.
As I said above wide tyres plus fork smooth it even more.
I just want us all to eat a kitkat and let that name sink in.. Tim Torn Teutenberg.......
We stopped doing those studies because they didn't work - they didn't show our treatments were working and we know they do, so the tests are wrong!...
"Nobody ever swam across the river full of alligators, so we installed a bridge. Since opening the bridge, three people have tripped when walking...
I work for a company that is starting to use similar software. The issue is that before this someone had to be looking at the screen, and...
Wonder how long it was stationary before the wheels had gone and it was on bricks? I notice they took the headlights as well - people must be...
Interesting about also taking on Wildcat Gear as I've found that to be both functional and durable as a customer. You could say they've gone from...
In the Netherlands, their streets with the equivalent 30kph limit don't need or have sparated cycle lanes. And they are designed so that they...