Auto braking - does it work?

[ajroxstar]

So auto braking actually works nicely in Adaptive Cruise control and Highway assist modes where the car will actually slow down and and even stop when there is a car in front of you. However when driving normally and approaching a car it will just flash BRAKE in red but actually not slow down. I thought a smart car was actually supposed to brake itself when it detects an imminent crash. When I’m backing up and it detect a cross traffic it will brake for me and scare the crap of of me. Why doesn’t it do that for a forward movement? Am I missing something?

 

[hydbob]

So auto braking actually works nicely in Adaptive Cruise control and Highway assist modes where the car will actually slow down and and even stop when there is a car in front of you. However when driving normally and approaching a car it will just flash BRAKE in red but actually not slow down. I thought a smart car was actually supposed to brake itself when it detects an imminent crash. When I’m backing up and it detect a cross traffic it will brake for me and scare the crap of of me. Why doesn’t it do that for a forward movement? Am I missing something?

it will brake for you if you don't brake, my old pair of pants can attest to that =) I wouldn't test it out yourself though, unless you are into that kind of thing

 

[AirDoll]

It’s “Emergency” Auto braking/Collision Avoidance, and it does work. Very well in fact. However, the car doesn’t just “brake for you” in general. I wouldn’t purposely test this one out.

 

[Taz K]

I can also attest to the collision avoidance braking system engaging when I was driving around 50mph and a car cut in front of me suddenly to make a right turn. I had only looked at the pilot panel for a second when this occurred. It definitely gave my wife and I a jolt, but we were glad that the system worked.

I have also had issues with this braking feature engaging when I am backing into my garage. I have learned to go slower and it has been better.

 

[scal_air]

I can also attest to the collision avoidance braking system engaging when I was driving around 50mph and a car cut in front of me suddenly to make a right turn. I had only looked at the pilot panel for a second when this occurred. It definitely gave my wife and I a jolt, but we were glad that the system worked.

I have also had issues with this braking feature engaging when I am backing into my garage. I have learned to go slower and it has been better.

Yeah, if you drive like an old man, which I am, the warning to "Stop" because you are coming too close to an object does not activate the brakes if you are going slow...

 

[LucidJazz]

If you have cruise control set, it will monitor the distance between you and the car in front and slow as necessary. There are 4 distances parameters you can preset.

 

[DeaneG]

Also be aware that the system currently can't reliably detect non-moving objects in front of you.

 

[Breezy]

So auto braking actually works nicely in Adaptive Cruise control and Highway assist modes where the car will actually slow down and and even stop when there is a car in front of you. However when driving normally and approaching a car it will just flash BRAKE in red but actually not slow down. I thought a smart car was actually supposed to brake itself when it detects an imminent crash. When I’m backing up and it detect a cross traffic it will brake for me and scare the crap of of me. Why doesn’t it do that for a forward movement? Am I missing something?

Like others here…I can attest that it works exceptionally well…and you will ship your pants when it happens

 

[Unmutual]

It absolutely will brake in an emergency. Car in front of me decided to make a left turn where it wasn't supposed to, and the car was paying attention more than I was.

 

[ajroxstar]

Thanks guys! Glad to hear that emergency autobraking works!

 

[Tâm]

So auto braking actually works nicely in Adaptive Cruise control and Highway assist modes where the car will actually slow down and and even stop when there is a car in front of you. However when driving normally and approaching a car it will just flash BRAKE in red but actually not slow down. I thought a smart car was actually supposed to brake itself when it detects an imminent crash. When I’m backing up and it detect a cross traffic it will brake for me and scare the crap of of me. Why doesn’t it do that for a forward movement? Am I missing something?

On page 107 of the manual:

"WARNING: Automatic Emergency Braking is not designed to prevent a collision, but to minimize the impact of a frontal collision by attempting to reduce your driving speed. Depending solely on Automatic Emergency Braking to avoid a collision can result in serious injury or death."

Thus, when I drive at 40 mph and there are stopped cars at a red light, if I rely on the Automatic Emergency Braking to prevent a collision, most likely, it will only brake to slow down and not brake to avoid a collision. That's what its designed to do.

Lucid Adaptive Cruise Control doesn't brake to avoid a collision for the above scenario either. However, if you approach at a slower speed like 20 mph, your Lucid Adaptive Cruise Control can stop to avoid a collision.

Your automatic braking for cross-traffic works because, the speed of your car is really slow, like zero or a few miles per hour.

I suspect as Lucid will write programs for the LIDAR, collision avoidance will be better and the system will be able to brake to a stop to avoid a collision.

When you said "smart car," it helps if you know what level of autonomous driving is. Lucid is classified as 2 which means with that level, a human is still require to bail it out of collisions.

Mercedes has come out with L3 Drive Pilot and it can brake to avoid collisions but notice at its speed: at the maximum of 40 MPH. That speed will be increased to 80 MPH but not in a near future.

The ability to brake to avoid a collision with a stationary object depends on hardware and software.

Lucid got the hardware LIDAR, but it needs software engineers to work on the function.

 

[Yenaphe]

I can also attest of the emergency braking working great. I was in rear drive slowly getting out of my driveway and in the street when a car arrived super fast. By the time my GT showed me the side traffic warning, the car had already emergency braked. The other car saw me last second because they were speeding well over the limit, but they did brake too, so no collision.

 

[ajroxstar]

On page 107 of the manual:

"WARNING: Automatic Emergency Braking is not designed to prevent a collision, but to minimize the impact of a frontal collision by attempting to reduce your driving speed. Depending solely on Automatic Emergency Braking to avoid a collision can result in serious injury or death."

Thus, when I drive at 40 mph and there are stopped cars at a red light, if I rely on the Automatic Emergency Braking to prevent a collision, most likely, it will only brake to slow down and not brake to avoid a collision. That's what its designed to do.

Lucid Adaptive Cruise Control doesn't brake to avoid a collision for the above scenario either. However, if you approach at a slower speed like 20 mph, your Lucid Adaptive Cruise Control can stop to avoid a collision.

Your automatic braking for cross-traffic works because, the speed of your car is really slow, like zero or a few miles per hour.

I suspect as Lucid will write programs for the LIDAR, collision avoidance will be better and the system will be able to brake to a stop to avoid a collision.

When you said "smart car," it helps if you know what level of autonomous driving is. Lucid is classified as 2 which means with that level, a human is still require to bail it out of collisions.

Mercedes has come out with L3 Drive Pilot and it can brake to avoid collisions but notice at its speed: at the maximum of 40 MPH. That speed will be increased to 80 MPH but not in a near future.

The ability to brake to avoid a collision with a stationary object depends on hardware and software.

Lucid got the hardware LIDAR, but it needs software engineers to work on the function.

Thanks for the detailed response. Very informative.

 

[Tâm]

I can also attest of the emergency braking working great. I was in rear drive slowly getting out of my driveway and in the street when a car arrived super fast. By the time my GT showed me the side traffic warning, the car had already emergency braked. The other car saw me last second because they were speeding well over the limit, but they did brake too, so no collision.

That scenario is "Cross Traffic Protection" on page 109 of the manual.

Please note the speed effectiveness of the Cross Traffic Protection braking: Your car must roll less than 6 mph!

This thread is talking about the speed of 90 MPH in the mode of Adaptive Cruise and similar scenarios, not 6 mph.

With current software, when a Lucid is on Adaptive Cruise at 90 MPH, it does not brake to avoid a collision when the car is approaching stopped cars at a red light. The Automatic Emergency Braking will activate to slow down but not to avoid the collision.

 

[alan188]

So auto braking actually works nicely in Adaptive Cruise control and Highway assist modes where the car will actually slow down and and even stop when there is a car in front of you. However when driving normally and approaching a car it will just flash BRAKE in red but actually not slow down. I thought a smart car was actually supposed to brake itself when it detects an imminent crash. When I’m backing up and it detect a cross traffic it will brake for me and scare the crap of of me. Why doesn’t it do that for a forward movement? Am I missing something?

You'd better test the "auto brake" with some warning corn before you try it on road. It won't hurt anything.

 

[Tâm]

Note that the Automatic Emergency Braking are tested at relatively slow speeds.

Few vehicles excel in new nighttime test of pedestrian autobrake

A majority of the first 23 vehicles evaluated in the IIHS nighttime pedestrian crash prevention test earn only a basic score or no credit.

www.iihs.org

Crossing Test: 12 and 25 MPH
Parallel Test: 25 and 37 MPH

Below is the test for 2022 Lucid Air:

Sometimes it works, other times not. The slower the speed, the better chance to automatically brake to avoid a collision.

It's still not 100% foolproof for home testing.