New car safety tech falls short for roadside construction crews wearing high-visibility clothing, AAA says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New technology in cars to detect pedestrians crossing in front of them has significantly improved over the years. However, a recent study by the American Automobile Association shows there are still dangers people need to know, even if they wear high-visibility clothing.

That’s especially the case for emergency workers, including construction crews or roadside assistance workers.

A car’s braking system is not perfect. So even if someone on the road is wearing a reflective vest, some cars may not sense that.

That’s what a recent AAA crash course showed, which involved testing four different cars and how they responded to a mannequin crossing in front of them that had different colored clothing while the cars were going about 25 miles an hour. 

According to AAA, pedestrian automatic emergency braking systems now avoid nighttime collisions about 60% of the time. In 2019, it was 0%.

That research shows that sometimes high-visibility clothing that roadside assistance workers wear can interfere with detection at night.

According to AAA, more than 75% of pedestrian fatalities happen at night.

So far in Duval County this year, close to 30 people have been hit and killed by a car. Those numbers are from JSO. 

What drivers should do

As a driver, there are several things that we should do to be responsible and cut down on those numbers:

• Drivers should not fully rely on their cars to prevent hitting a pedestrian. They should be aware at all times of their surroundings.
• Drivers need to stay alert, avoid risky, driving behaviors, like speeding, texting, driving while drowsy or distracted, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and follow the speed limit

What pedestrians should do

In addition to drivers, there are some things pedestrians can do to increase their chances of being safe.

• Pedestrians should be aware of their surroundings
• Stay cautious by walking on sidewalks and using crosswalks whenever they can
• Look both ways before crossing the street and avoid walking and texting or looking at your phone while you are walking

Click here to read AAA’s full report