Traffic Inj Prev. 2026 Jun 11:1-7. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2026.2673090. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) fitted to vehicles has proven road safety benefits in terms of preventing collisions with other vehicles. AEB with pedestrian detection (PAEB) extends this capability to protect vulnerable road users: the current paper evaluates these safety benefits in comparison with AEB without pedestrian detection and vehicles without any AEB.
METHODS: We analyzed data from Australian and New Zealand crashes involving injury over the period 2016-2023. The target crash types for PAEB analyzed either involved a vulnerable road user or the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. Vehicles listed in Redbook (which provides vehicle specification information to assist Australian vehicle purchasers) with the feature “Control – Pedestrian Avoidance with Braking” were classed as having PAEB; for other vehicles, “Collision Mitigation – Forward (High speed)” and “Collision Mitigation – Forward (Low speed)” identified other forms of AEB. Using an induced exposure approach, crash rates associated with the safety technology fitted were estimated.
RESULTS: Controlling for jurisdiction, speed limit area, vehicle market group, driver age group and sex, weather, day/night and year of crash, there was a 17% reduction (95% CI 5% to 27%) in the rate of pedestrian or cyclist collisions associated with vehicles equipped with PAEB relative to vehicles without any AEB system; for vehicles equipped with AEB without pedestrian detection, there was no reduction in the rate of pedestrian or cyclist collisions. For collisions with motorcycles, the associated benefits were smaller: compared to vehicles with no AEB system, there was a statistically significant 11% reduction associated with PAEB (95% CI 0% to 21%) and a non-significant 8% reduction (95% CI an increase of 4% to a decrease of 19%) associated with other AEB system fitment. There were insufficient cyclists in the data to estimate benefits specifically for cyclists but there was no evidence that the associated benefit was any less than for pedestrians. The safety benefits for vulnerable road users associated with AEB with pedestrian detection were estimated to be higher at nighttime, contrary to some findings in other studies.
CONCLUSIONS: The safety benefits associated with PAEB for vulnerable road users are significantly greater than AEB without pedestrian detection, and this analysis of real-world crash outcomes shows these benefits extend to the protection of motorcyclists.
PMID:42275024 | DOI:10.1080/15389588.2026.2673090
