News Rights

IIHS Study Indicates Reflective Clothing May Have Negative Impact on Automated Crash Prevention Systems

AMA working closely to combat issues related to automatic emergency braking systems

A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently indicated that reflective clothing — which typically aims to make riders more visible to drivers — may hinder the ability of automatic crash prevention systems to detect motorcyclists and bicyclists.

The study, which was released on Jan. 9, looked at the effects that visible and reflective clothing have on the performance of automatic emergency braking systems in three 2023 car models — a Honda CR-V, a Mazda CX-5 and a Subaru Forester. It was found that the CR-V and CX-5 hit the dummy 84 percent and 88 percent of the time in their respective trials, and neither model slowed at all when the dummy was clothed with reflective strips on its limbs. The Forester performed much better, however, avoiding collision in all but one trial.

Using multiple trials to test each control variable, an adult-sized dummy was clothed in different outfits — including a black sweatshirt and pants, a reflective jacket with black sweatpants, the black sweatshirt and pants with reflective strips added to the dummy’s arms and legs, and a white sweatshirt and pants. Various scenarios were also tested in this study, with the vehicles traveling at 25 miles per hour with no roadway lighting, 10 lux of illumination and 20 lux of illumination.

The American Motorcyclist Association has consistently raised alarm about the increased prevalence of automatic emergency braking systems and their ability to detect motorcyclists on the open road.

“America’s roads and highways should not be used as automobile proving grounds at the expense of motorcycle safety,” AMA Government Relations Washington Representative Zach Farmer said.

Recently, the AMA issued support for H.R.10347 — commonly referred to as the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act of 2024 — which aims to enact increased requirements for automatic emergency braking systems installed in new cars, trucks, buses and other commercial and passenger vehicles.

In addition to recent developments regarding H.R.10347, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently delayed the implementation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 127, which required all new light vehicles to contain automatic emergency braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. This provision originally scheduled to go in effect for all new vehicles by September 2029, has been delayed (pending a review in response to legal challenges) until March 20.

To view the AMA’s position statement regarding automated vehicles and the safety of motorcyclists, visitamericanmotorcyclist.com/rights/ama-board-position-statements/automated-vehicles-and-the-safety-of-motorcyclists/.

Don’t forget, you are an important ally in our fight to protect motorcyclists’ rights. Stay informed and sign up to receive AMA Action Alerts that notify you of threats to your motorcycling rights at https://americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/rights-resources/subscribe-for-rights-updates/.  

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