Vehicles with automatic emergency braking systems that can detect and brake for pedestrians have been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

In the first tests of 2018–19, nine of 11 small SUVs evaluated earned an advanced or superior rating for pedestrian crash prevention.

The 2018–19 Honda CR-V, 2019 Subaru Forester, 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Volvo XC40 earned the highest rating of superior. The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, 2018–19 Hyundai Kona, 2019 Kia Sportage, 2018–19 Mazda CX-5 and 2019 Nissan Rogue earned an advanced rating. The 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander was rated basic, and the 2018–19 BMW X1 didn’t receive any credit for a rating. Pedestrian detection is standard on the Forester, RAV4, Rogue, X1 and XC40.

Autobrake systems that can detect and brake for pedestrians are one countermeasure to help reduce the number of crashes involving pedestrians. A total of 5,977 pedestrians died in crashes in the US in 2017.

In general, pedestrian detection systems use a forward-facing mono camera or stereo cameras mounted near the rearview mirror plus radar sensors in the vehicle’s front grille to continuously scan the roadway and horizon for pedestrians and, in some cases, bicyclists or animals, who might cross the vehicle’s travel path. Algorithms identify the objects as people, bicyclists or animals, predict their travel path and determine the vehicle’s speed in relation to them. If a collision is imminent, the system typically alerts the driver and can apply the brakes much faster than a human could react.