Some of those scenarios include the following:
Adult pedestrians hit by vehicles at night: A study conducted by AAA found that all pedestrian detection systems tested under nighttime conditions failed.
A child running in front of a vehicle: The study also found that, if a child darts in front of a vehicle moving at just 20 mph, an accident took place 89% of the time.
Vehicles moving at high speeds: The study discovered that the detection systems failed to prevent accidents when vehicles traveled at or over 30 mph.
Pedestrians hit by turning vehicles: The detection devices also failed to avoid collisions with pedestrians when the vehicles made a right-hand turn.
Studies like this one are important because far too many drivers rely on detection devices to avoid collisions. However, as this study shows, those systems can be highly ineffective. Sometimes, a driver reduces his or her attention on the road, thinking that the detection system will make up the difference. It this instance, a serious accident could occur.