This One Toyota Avoided All Pedestrians in AAA’s Recent Nighttime Test | Carscoops

      A recent study conducted by AAA has revealed that automatic emergency braking systems can prevent 60% of pedestrian collisions at night.

      The latest findings indicate that these systems are improving, with their effectiveness rising from 0% just six years prior. The 2025 Toyota Camry achieved a perfect result, avoiding all nighttime collisions.

      The study highlights advancements in technology that contribute to safer driving. It shows that automatic emergency braking systems have greatly enhanced their ability to detect pedestrians during nighttime.

      In a 2019 assessment, AAA found these systems to be "completely ineffective at night," which is concerning given that over 75% of pedestrian deaths happen after dark.

      What Improvements Have Been Made Since 2019?

      To evaluate improvements, AAA conducted new tests with four contemporary vehicles: the 2024 Honda Accord, 2025 Toyota Camry, 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2025 Tesla Model 3, alongside a "robotic pedestrian adult."

      The "adult" simulated a scenario where it would cross in front of the vehicles at a speed of 25 mph (40 km/h), typically representing neighborhood conditions.

      The results were promising, as automatic emergency braking systems prevented 60% of nighttime accidents. Although still not ideal, this marks a significant enhancement from the initial 0% success rate.

      Which Vehicles Performed Best?

      The 2019 Accord did not detect or react to the pedestrian at night in the previous tests. In contrast, the 2024 Accord issued warnings and engaged the brakes in three out of five trials, successfully preventing two collisions, with the third resulting in a significantly lower impact speed.

      The 2025 Camry performed remarkably well, with its automatic emergency braking system providing warnings at around 73 feet (22.26 meters) and braking at an average of 42.7 feet (13.02 meters), ultimately preventing any collisions with the pedestrian.

      We’ll briefly mention the discontinued Malibu and highlight that the Tesla Model 3 successfully detected the pedestrian and applied the brakes in all five tests, avoiding collisions 80% of the time and reducing the impact speed to 8.7 mph (14 km/h) in the one instance where it didn’t succeed.

      Does Bright Clothing Help?

      AAA also experimented with high-visibility clothing to determine its effect. During daytime tests, there was no noticeable change in vehicle performance. However, at night, researchers observed mixed results, with some instances showing “improved avoidance” and others a “complete loss of detection.”

      The Accord collided with the pedestrian in all five nighttime trials while wearing reflective clothing, which was double the incidents compared to tests without it, suggesting the clothing rendered the pedestrian nearly invisible. Conversely, the Model 3’s results improved, successfully avoiding a collision in all five tests.

      Stay Vigilant, Even with Advanced Vehicles

      Greg Brannon, AAA’s Director of Automotive Engineering Research, noted that “recent advancements in pedestrian automatic emergency braking systems are encouraging,” but emphasized that “more work is needed.” He identified the inconsistent results with high-visibility clothing as an area requiring "further refinement and testing" to enhance safety for both pedestrians and roadside assistance personnel.

      AAA advises drivers to stay alert and exercise additional caution at night, while also cautioning against over-reliance on automatic emergency braking systems, which are aids and not foolproof. Similarly, pedestrians should remain attentive and cautious when crossing streets.