A new study shows that early versions of Subaru’s crash-avoidance system prevented crashes with bicyclists riding parallel to the roadway as they were designed to do but were less successful in preventing collisions with those in other locations relative to the vehicle.

One of the first such systems able to prevent crashes with bicycles, Subaru’s technology has recently been updated and could show more crash-prevention success, said the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which conducted the study.

Subaru’s EyeSight system includes driver-assistance features, among them automatic emergency braking, all underpinned by two cameras behind the windshield.

Its two early versions were designed to prevent only crashes with cyclists traveling parallel to the vehicle. The system cut such accidents by 29%, the institute’s study found. Its preventative effect on other types of crashes with bicycles was minor, according to the research.

“… to have a meaningful impact, AEB systems also need to be able to prevent crashes with bicycles that are crossing in front of the vehicle,” said study author Jessica Cicchino, the institute’s vice president of research.

The institute says that crossing crashes represent the majority of bicycle collisions in both the U.S. and Europe.

The nonprofit organization says that nearly 1,000 cyclists were killed in automotive crashes in 2021, up more than 50% since 2010.

It said that systems such as EyeSight should still not be considered a solution to auto-bicycle crashes.

“These technologies are fantastic, but it will be a long time before every vehicle in the fleet is equipped with such a system,” Cicchino said. “That’s why we need things like better roadway lighting to help drivers to see cyclists at night as well as more separated bike lanes and other infrastructure improvements that we know reduce crash risk.”

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