Pedestrian Accidents Due to Faulty Car Safety Features

Posted on September 14, 2022 in Pedestrian Accidents

Accidents involving pedestrians often result in severe injuries. Pedestrians do not have any protection from the force of a vehicle slamming into them, but it has been hoped that improved safety features on cars would help reduce pedestrian collisions. Newer cars have all kinds of safety features built-in, and some even have pedestrian detection systems. But, how effective are these safety features?

AI and Pedestrian Detection

There has been significant debate over the safety of artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles. Despite the proliferation of self-driving vehicle tests around the country, many individuals still think that they are too dangerous to hit the road in a mainstream way. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps we are not ready to have self-driving cars everywhere, but the reality is that that is where the future is moving.

One of the main concerns about self-driving vehicles has been pedestrian safety. This became an especially prevalent concern after a self-driving Uber vehicle struck and hit a pedestrian as she wheeled her bicycle across a road in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018. There was a driver in the driver’s seat who was supposed to take over if anything went wrong, but they were distracted and failed to do so. This was a cautionary tale of not only the failure of the self-driving vehicle system but also the fail-safes that were supposed to be in place to prevent this type of incident while testing is ongoing.

Backup Cameras

In 2018, Congress passed a law that all new vehicles were required to have backup cameras in place. The impetus for this law was several high-profile deaths that occurred when individuals ran over children who were behind the vehicles. The thought was that the cameras would help prevent these types of incidents from occurring. However, a backup camera should not be the sole since we re device that individuals use to determine whether or not there is a pedestrian around them when they are in reverse.

When backing up, individuals should still check their surroundings, including their mirrors, as well as actually maneuver their head and neck to look around for any pedestrian in a blind spot. The backup cam is meant to be a supplemental tool to open sure there is added safety. Pedestrians still get struck by vehicles in reverse all the time, particularly vehicles reversing out of driveways, alleyways, or in a parking lot.

Other Vehicle Safety Features

Many vehicles have additional safety features built in to help prevent vehicle accidents. This includes sensors that let a person know if they are approaching another vehicle too quickly on the roadway. However, some vehicles, particularly newer ones, do have pedestrian detection sensors that kick in and detect pedestrians that may be in or about to cross the pathway of the vehicle. Again, these sensors are only as good as the driver behind the wheel, and drivers should always remain attentive to the roadway around them.

In the event a pedestrian accident occurs due to the negligence of another driver, they will not likely be able to pass the blame onto the safety features of the vehicle, even if the safety features were faulty. Drivers still have a duty of care to uphold to all others around them, including pedestrians. This duty of care includes operating attentively and being on the lookout for pedestrians. Our Portland pedestrian accident lawyers can help you seek justice.