The institute tested 23 vehicles of different classes, among which 12 received the lowest safety rating, or did not pass certification at all. For the test, a dummy was used, which the machines either did not notice or reacted slowly to its appearance.

It is noted that different models of the same manufacturer could get different results. For example, the Nissan Pathfinder received an excellent rating, while the Altima failed the test. The company says it is looking into the test results. The Toyota Tacoma is not equipped with such a system at all, but the Highlander and Camry passed the test perfectly.

Volkswagen cars now use only radar to recognize pedestrians, but from next year a camera will also be added to the system. The manufacturer expects to receive an excellent rating for new models.

It is also interesting that eight of the twelve cars that received poor or unsatisfactory results at night received a "progressive" or "excellent" result during the day.

Starting next year, the IIHS will require it to be mandatory to carry out such tests at night in order for the car to receive the highest safety rating. As with the NHTSA, automakers are likely to go along with it.

The IIHS is focusing so much on pedestrian detection technology with a rapidly rising number of highway fatalities involving pedestrians in the United States. According to federal data, 7,342 pedestrians were killed in road accidents in 2021, up 13% from 2020 and over 80% more than in 2009.