StatusInsurance Institute for Highway Safety Report | Highway Loss Data Institute Vol. 55, No. 5 December 17, 2020

Making way for e-scooters With automation, more familiarity means less focus IIHS awards drive headlight improvements Standard autobrake becomes the norm City planners and many pedestrians have wondered how to get electric scooters off the sidewalk, but two new studies from IIHS raise a different question: Just where should e-scooters be ridden? “We didn’t see many e-scooter crash- es with motor vehicles, and that may be a result of riders sticking mostly to the side- walk,” says Jessica Cicchino, IIHS vice presi- dent for research and the lead author of the studies. “On the other hand, there are legit- imate concerns that sidewalk riders could crash into pedestrians.” Already, many cities have enacted restric- tions limiting e-scooter use on sidewalks or ordinances barring them from pedestrian areas altogether. Neighborhood associations and advocacy groups like the National Dis- ability Rights Network have also pushed for more stringent regulations. To explore how e-scooters are affecting road safety, IIHS researchers interviewed more than 100 e-scooter riders whose inju- ries brought them to the emergency room at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., between March and November 2019. One study examined how the severity of their injuries varied accord- ing to where and how they were injured. A second one compared the rider demograph- ics, usage patterns and injuries with those of 377 bicyclists who were interviewed as part of an earlier study. Broadly speaking, the researchers found that e-scooter riders suffered injuries more frequently per mile traveled than bicyclists, but bicyclists were 3 times as likely as scoot- er riders to be hit by motor vehicles. In con- trast, e-scooter riders were twice as likely as bicyclists to get injured because of a pot- hole or crack in the pavement or other infra- structure like a signpost or curb.

ROAD IIHS RESEARCH Most e-scooter “Severity of e-scooter rider injuries associated with trip characteristics” by J.B. Cicchino, rider injuries happen P.E. Kulie and M.L. McCarthy “Injuries related to electric scooter and bicycle use in a Washington, DC, emergency on sidewalk, study finds department” by J.B. Cicchino, P.E. Kulie and M.L. McCarthy

To request these papers, email [email protected].

2 | Status Report — Vol. 55, No. 5 Are electric scooters

E-scooter riders are injured more frequently per mile traveled than bicyclists. more dangerous than bikes? Injured e-scooter riders are twice as likely as bicyclists to have struck a pothole, curb, signpost, etc. Nearly 3 out of 5 injured e-scooter riders were hurt while  riding on the sidewalk. BUT injured bicyclists are 3 times as likely as e-scooter riders to have been hit by motor vehicles.

“When you’re riding a bicycle, because contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the prevalence of sidewalk riding, you’re sitting down, you can do a lot with Shared e-scooters logged 86 million trips in only six nonriders came to the emergen- your legs,” says 45-year-old Eze Amos of the U.S. in 2019. Though e-scooter programs cy room with injuries caused by e-scooters Charlottesville, , who recently stalled as COVID-19 began, that number during the study period. Four of them were switched from an e-scooter to an electric may grow as the pandemic grinds on and pedestrians or bicyclists who fell tripping bike. “If you brake suddenly with a scooter, commuters look for socially distanced alter- over, hitting or trying to avoid an e-scooter you will fly off it. If there’s a little hole in the natives to the bus and subway. that wasn’t in use. road, you will fly off it.” At the same time, e-scooter riders may Bicyclists and e-scooter riders sustained Nearly 3 out of 5 e-scooter riders were in- find they aren’t entirely welcome on any different kinds of injuries, but they were jured riding on the sidewalk — and about part of their city’s transportation network. mostly of similar severity. a third of these riders got those injuries in Posters in bike forums sometimes complain About 60 percent of both groups sus- places where sidewalk riding is prohibit- about slow scooters in the bike lane, while tained minor injuries and 9 percent in ed. Only about 1 out of 5 was injured riding some city administrators are struggling to each group were admitted to the hospi- in the bike lane, multiuse trail or other off- get e-scooter riders off the sidewalk or force tal. E-scooter riders treated in the emer- road location. them to go even slower. gency room suffered concussions with loss Only about a quarter of the injured scoot- Operators were required to cap the top of consciousness and skull fractures more er riders were commuting to work. The rest speed of e-scooters at 10 mph in D.C. begin- often than bicyclists. Only 2 percent of the were running errands or riding for fun or a ning in January 2019, and sidewalk riding is injured e-scooter riders reported wearing a social trip, like 23-year-old Kavita Kothari, prohibited in certain areas downtown. Cities helmet, compared with 66 percent of bicy- who used shared e-scooters on trips to D.C. like Denver and San Antonio have banned e- clists treated in the emergency room. One while she was a student at the University of scooters from the sidewalks altogether, and likely explanation is that most e-scooters are . She and her friends typically rode other communities have contracted with e- shared, and using one is often a spontane- on the sidewalk. scooter companies to keep them off the side- ous decision. “We used the bike lane when one was walk or control their speeds. But that could “I would probably never carry a helmet, available,” she says. “But I personally don’t be a trade-off where safety is concerned. because I don’t ride [e-scooters] that often,” feel safe riding a scooter in the middle “The picture is still not clear when it explains D.C. resident Jessica Ruf, 24. “If of traffic.” comes to where scooters should be ridden,” they provided one, I probably wouldn’t use Past research has shown that most e- says Cicchino. “Our results suggest that it because of hygiene.” scooter riders prefer the bike lane over- moving scooters off the sidewalk could put Scooter usage may continue to grow rap- all, and the Institute found that one was riders at risk of more severe injuries, but as idly for quite some time, but some of the rarely available in the instances in which things stand they might be suffering these minor injuries suffered by riders may also riders were injured in the road or sidewalk. lesser injuries more often.” disappear as the market matures. Nearly 40 Moreover, riding alongside pedestrians The e-scooter riders who were hurt riding percent of the interview subjects were in- may not be sustainable as usage continues in motor vehicle travel lanes were more jured on their first ride. In contrast, among to expand. likely to sustain moderately severe injuries the bicyclists interviewed in the emergency E-scooter companies like Bird, Lime, Lyft than those hurt riding on sidewalks, bike room, 80 percent said they cycle most days and Uber have seen ridership soar over the lanes or multiuse trails. Moving vehicles ac- of the week during their main riding season. past several years, as urban planners and en- counted for only 13 percent of the injuries to “Inexperience increases crash risk for vironmentalists seek to encourage micro- e-scooter riders, compared with 40 percent virtually every form of transportation,” mobility and eliminate short car trips that for bicycles. says Cicchino. n

December 17, 2020 | 3 Drivers let their focus slip as they get used to partial automation

Drivers fidget with electronics and take Under the classification system developed managing steering and speed — quite well both hands off the wheel more often as they by SAE International, the levels of automa- in some cases — it’s easy for the driver to develop trust in automated systems, new re- tion range from 0 (no automation) to 5 (fully lose focus. search from IIHS and the Massachusetts In- self-driving). Level 1 systems can assist the “This study supports our call for more stitute of Technology’s AgeLab shows. driver with one driving task; ACC fits into robust ways of ensuring the driver is look- To investigate how experience with au- this category. Level 2 systems, such as Pilot ing at the road and ready to take the wheel tomation affects driver disengagement, the Assist, can assist with two tasks. Level 2 is when using Level 2 systems,” says Reagan. researchers studied the driving behavior of the highest level of automation available in “It shows some drivers may be getting lulled 20 Massachusetts-based volunteers over a production vehicles today. into a false sense of security over time.” month’s time as they gained familiarity with When the drivers first received the vehi- Earlier this year, IIHS issued a series advanced driver assistance features, exam- cles, there was little or no difference in how of recommendations for improving how ining how often they removed both hands frequently they showed signs of disengage- such systems monitor whether the driver is from the steering wheel or took their atten- ment, whether they were driving manual- paying attention and how the systems react tion away from the road to do things like use ly, using ACC or using Pilot Assist. After when that focus falters (see “Automated sys- their cell phone or adjust the controls on the a month, however, they were substantially tems need stronger safeguards to keep driv- vehicle’s console. more likely to let their focus slip or take their ers focused on the road,” March 12, 2020). One group of 10 drove a Land Rover hands off the wheel when using automation, The European New Car Assessment Pro- Range Rover Evoque equipped with adap- and the impact of Volvo’s Level 2 system was gram recently launched ratings for driver tive cruise control (ACC), which automati- more dramatic than that of ACC alone, says assistance systems that assess those capa- cally keeps the vehicle traveling at a speed IIHS Senior Research Scientist Ian Reagan, bilities in addition to how well the systems chosen by the driver while maintaining a the lead author of the study. control the vehicle’s speed and steering. pre-established following distance. Anoth- “Drivers were more than twice as likely to However, U.S. regulators have yet to devel- er 10 drove a Volvo S90 with both ACC and show signs of disengagement after a month op similar ratings or standards for evaluat- Pilot Assist, a partially automated system of using Pilot Assist compared with the be- ing partial automation systems. that combines ACC with lane-centering ginning of the study,” Reagan says. “Com- When it comes to the effect of technolo- technology that keeps the vehicle positioned pared with driving manually, they were gy on driver behavior, the new study illus- laterally in the travel lane. more than 12 times as likely to take both trates some clear differences between stand- hands off the wheel after they’d gotten used alone ACC and the combination of ACC and to how the lane centering worked.” lane centering. ROADIIHS RESEARCH Pilot Assist and similar systems like Tes- In contrast with the disengagement ob- la’s Autopilot, ’s Super Cruise and served with Pilot Assist, drivers of the S90 “Disengagement from driving when using Mercedes-Benz’s Intelligent Drive are not were less likely to become disengaged while automation during a 4-week field trial” designed to replace the driver. They have using ACC than while driving manually, and by I.J. Reagan et al. trouble negotiating many common road that didn’t change much over time. Howev- features, so the driver must be in control er, this observation was based on limited To request this paper, email [email protected]. at all times. However, with the automation data, as by the end of the month most S90

4 | Status Report — Vol. 55, No. 5 IIHS award criteria push manufacturers to scrap inferior headlights

At least 10 manufacturers have improved their 2021 headlight offerings by eliminat- ing or modifying inferior choices, according to new IIHS ratings. The TOP SAFETY PICK+ award is driving the improvements. Beginning in 2020, vehicles have only been able to qualify for the higher of the Institute’s two awards if they come equipped with good or acceptable headlights across all trims. Those tougher requirements marked the latest stage in an effort that IIHS began five years ago to address a longstanding problem. About half of all fatal crashes in the U.S. occur in the dark, and more than a quarter occur on unlit roads. Nevertheless, manufacturers have historically sold many models with several different headlight systems of varying quality. The Institute’s first step to encourage drivers who used either automated system better vehicle lighting was to intro- used Pilot Assist rather than ACC. duce headlight ratings in 2016. At that Drivers of the Evoque, who used ACC time, the best-available headlights on often, were more likely to look at or pick only two of the 95 models IIHS tested up a cell phone while using the assistance earned a good rating (see “Headlights technology than when driving manually, are still an afterthought on many ve- and that tendency increased substantially as hicles,” February 18, 2020). The next they grew familiar with ACC. On the other year, IIHS added headlight ratings to hand, increased familiarity did not result its award criteria. in more frequent texting or other kinds of IIHS adopted the more stringent cell phone manipulation known to increase 2020 criteria for TOP SAFETY PICK+ crash risk. Unlike drivers using Pilot Assist, to encourage manufacturers to make drivers using ACC in both the Evoque and good-functioning headlights standard the S90 weren’t any more likely to remove equipment. The new headlight re- both hands from the wheel than when driv- quirement will remain in place for the ing manually. 2021 awards. These differences could be important “It’s common sense that quality in weighing the impact on crash risk from headlights protect against nighttime ACC versus partial automation that com- and other low-light crashes,” says IIHS bines ACC with lane centering. Field tests President David Harkey. “But even have suggested that ACC, by controlling when manufacturers have offered speed and following distance, may have good headlights, too often they were safety benefits that go beyond those provid- expensive add-ons that could be hard ed by forward collision warning and auto- to find.” matic emergency braking. But neither field Many 2020 models fell short of the test data nor recent analysis of Institute’s highest award as a result of claims shows similar safety benefits with the the new headlight requirement. But addition of lane centering. manufacturers have reacted swiftly. In At the same time, a number of high- many cases, they simply stopped of- profile crashes involving partial automa- fering the systems that didn’t perform tion have demonstrated how dangerous too well enough in IIHS tests. Glare contributed to poor headlight ratings for much trust in technology can be. For model year 2020, 85 out of 185 several models. Fortunately, manufacturers “Crash investigators have identified driver models tested could be purchased are reducing glare and improving their disengagement as a major factor in every with good-rated headlights. In eight headlight packages. probe of fatal crashes involving partial auto- of those models, the good head- mation we’ve seen,” says Reagan. n lights were (continued on next page)

December 17, 2020 | 5 (“Headlights” continued) standard. A total of 42 model year 2020 Outback. Previously, these vehicles were available with different vehicles came exclusively with good- or acceptable-rated headlights. headlights that earned both good and acceptable ratings. For 2021, Model year 2021 appears slated for further improvement. good-rated headlights are standard. So far, manufacturers have boosted 10 models to TOP SAFETY BMW also improved the headlights on the 2021 BMW 5 series by PICK+ from TOP SAFETY PICK by eliminating or changing poor eliminating a marginal option. Though the vehicle doesn’t qualify for or marginal headlight packages. These include the Audi A7, Honda either award since its pedestrian crash avoidance has not been rated, Accord, Hyundai Palisade, CX-30, Altima, Subaru every 2021 BMW 5 series now comes with good-rated headlights. Ascent, Toyota Highlander, Volvo S60, Volvo XC40 and Volvo XC60. “More manufacturers are going to a single headlight package for The Honda Odyssey, which did not earn either award for the 2020 many 2021 models, which is a big win for consumers,” Harkey says. model because its pedestrian crash avoidance system was never eval- “Sometimes, taking an inferior piece of equipment off the market is uated, also qualifies for TOP SAFETY PICK+ for the 2021 model as important as the invention of a better one.” with the elimination of two inferior headlight choices. IIHS rates headlights on the distance that their low beams and In addition to meeting the headlight criteria, TOP SAFETY PICK high beams illuminate straight and curved roads. On a straightaway, and TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners must have good ratings in each of good-rated low beams illuminate the right side of the road ahead to the Institute’s six crashworthiness tests. They also need available front at least 325 feet. Poor ones might light up 220 feet or even less. crash prevention that earns advanced or superior ratings in both ve- IIHS engineers also deduct points for headlights that produce glare hicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. that can momentarily blind oncoming drivers. Extra credit is award- Carmakers also improved the headlights on four more vehicles ed for systems with high-beam assist, a feature that automatically that had earned TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards for their 2020 models switches between high beams and low beams, since research shows — the RDX, Subaru Forester, Subaru Legacy and Subaru that most drivers don’t use their high beams enough. n

Models with improved headlights

2021 model year 2020 model year “Sometimes, taking an inferior piece of Headlight rating Award Headlight rating Award equipment off the market is as important Acura RDX as the invention of a better one.”

Audi A7

BMW 5 series

Honda Accord

Honda Odyssey

Hyundai Palisade

Mazda CX-30

Nissan Altima

Subaru Ascent

Subaru Forester

Subaru Legacy

Subaru Outback

Toyota Highlander

Volvo S60

Volvo XC40

Volvo XC60

Good Marginal TOP SAFETY PICK+ The Volvo S60 previously was available with good or marginal Acceptable Poor TOP SAFETY PICK headlights. The 2021 model comes only with good headlights.

6 | Status Report — Vol. 55, No. 5 10 automakers fulfill autobrake pledge ahead of schedule

Ten automakers have fulfilled a voluntary In addition to the 10 manufacturers commitment to equip nearly all new light already meeting the AEB commitment, Percent of vehicles produced vehicles they produce for the U.S. market another three — Ford, Honda and Nissan Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 with AEB with automatic emergency braking (AEB) — put the technology on 9 out of 10 As reported by manufacturer for light-duty — well ahead of the 2022-23 deadline. vehicles they produced in the last year. vehicles weighing 8,500 pounds or less The 10 manufacturers put the technology That represents a big jump for Ford, from “Sometimes, taking an inferior piece of on more than 95 percent of units they pro- 65 percent in 2019 and just 6 percent the 2019 2020 equipment off the market is as important duced between Sept. 1, 2019, and Aug. 31, year before. 2020. Another three automakers exceeded Ford is also ahead of the game for the Tesla 100 100 as the invention of a better one.” 90 percent. However, five of the 20 automak- next stage of the commitment — installing Volvo 100 100 ers that signed the commitment equipped AEB on vehicles in the 8,501-10,000-pound fewer than half their vehicles with AEB. range by 2025-26. Ford has equipped 62 per- Audi 99 99 Of the 10 automakers that met the cent of those heavier vehicles with AEB. BMW 84 99 commitment ahead of schedule, four — Of the four other automakers that report- Audi, Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo ed producing vehicles in that range for the Subaru 84 99 — did so last year, according to manufac- U.S. market, Fiat was at 11 percent Volkswagen 92 98 turer reports. This year, they are joined by and Nissan 9 percent. Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Hyundai, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota were both at zero. Mercedes-Benz 99 97 and Volkswagen. The voluntary commitment doesn’t spec- Toyota/ 92 97 The reports are submitted annually ify phase-in targets, but Fiat Chrysler, Gen- Hyundai/Genesis 78 96 by the 20 manufacturers that pledged to eral Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Maserati, equip at least 95 percent of their light-du- Mitsubishi and Porsche have some catch- Mazda 80 96 ty cars and trucks with a gross vehicle ing up to do to meet the 2022-23 deadline Honda/Acura 86 94 weight of 8,500 pounds or less with the for light-duty vehicles. In the past year, they crash avoidance technology by the pro- equipped fewer than half of the units they Nissan/ 86 93 duction year beginning Sept. 1, 2022. The produced with AEB. Ford/Lincoln 65 91 commitment was brokered in 2015 by Under the terms, manufacturers must attest IIHS and the National Highway Traffic that the AEB on their vehicles meets certain 59 75 Safety Administration. performance standards for both forward Porsche 38 55 “This voluntary effort is succeeding in collision warning and automatic braking. getting an important crash prevention tech- The voluntary commitment is expected Maserati 69 48 nology into vehicles quickly,” says IIHS to prevent 42,000 crashes and 20,000 inju- General Motors 29 47 President David Harkey. “It’s great to see ries by 2025. The estimate is based on IIHS Mitsubishi 5 39 AEB become a mainstream safety feature research that found that front crash preven- that’s now standard equipment not just on tion systems with both forward collision Fiat Chrysler 10 14 The Volvo S60 previously was available with good or marginal luxury cars and SUVs, but on affordable warning and automatic braking cut rear- Jaguar Land Rover 0 0 headlights. The 2021 model comes only with good headlights. models as well.” end crashes by half. n

December 17, 2020 | 7 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute 4121 Wilson Boulevard, 6th floor Arlington, VA 22203 IIHS-HLDI Vehicle Research Center 988 Dairy Road Ruckersville, VA 22968

MEMBER GROUPS Metromile Status Report Acceptance Insurance Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company Vol. 55, No. 5 December 17, 2020 Acuity Insurance MMG Insurance | Alfa Insurance Munich Reinsurance America, Inc. Insurance Group Mutual Benefit Group® Editor: Sarah Karush AmericanAg Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Company American Family Insurance Nationwide Writer: Jason Overdorf American National NJM Insurance Group Amica Mutual Insurance Company Nodak Insurance Company Creative Director: Leslie Oakey Auto Club Enterprises The Norfolk & Dedham Group® Auto Club Group Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Photographers: Craig Garrett, Diana Hale, Auto-Owners Insurance North Mutual Insurance Company Dan Purdy, Jason Shifflet Celina Insurance Group Northern Neck Insurance Company Central States Health & Life Co. of Omaha and Affiliates NYCM Insurance CHUBB Mutual Insurance Group Colorado Farm Bureau Insurance Company Oregon Mutual Insurance Company Inquiries/print subscriptions: Commonwealth Casualty Company Pekin Insurance [email protected] Concord Group Insurance PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance Rock Assurance Copy may be republished with Cooperators Financial Services Limited Progressive Insurance COUNTRY Financial PURE Insurance attribution. Images require CSAA Insurance Group Qualitas Insurance Company permission to use. CSE Insurance Group Redpoint County Mutual Insurance Company Desjardins Insurance The Responsive Auto Insurance Company Donegal Insurance Group Rider Insurance DTRIC Insurance Rockingham Insurance IIHS is an independent, nonprofit scientific and ECM Insurance Group Root Insurance Co educational organization dedicated to reducing Elephant Insurance Company RSA Canada EMC Insurance Group Safe Auto Insurance Company the losses — deaths, injuries and property Encova Insurance Safeco Insurance® damage — from motor vehicle crashes. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Company Esurance Say Insurance HLDI shares and supports this mission through Farm Bureau Financial Services SECURA Insurance scientific studies of insurance data represent- Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Michigan Selective Insurance Company of America Farm Bureau Insurance of Sentry Insurance ing the human and economic losses resulting Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho Shelter Insurance® from the ownership and operation of different Farmers Insurance Group Sompo International ® types of vehicles and by publishing insurance Farmers Mutual of Nebraska South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Florida Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company loss results by vehicle make and model. Frankenmuth Insurance State Auto Insurance Companies Gainsco Insurance State Farm Insurance Companies Both organizations are wholly supported by GEICO Corporation Stillwater Insurance Group auto insurers and insurance associations. The General Insurance Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd Georgia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Goodville Mutual Casualty Company The Travelers Companies, Inc. Grange Insurance USAA iihs.org Grinnell Mutual Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. West Bend Mutual Insurance Company The Hanover Insurance Group Western National Insurance Group The Hartford Westfield Haulers Insurance Company, Inc. Horace Mann Insurance Companies Imperial Fire & Casualty Insurance Company FUNDING ASSOCIATIONS facebook /iihs.org Farm Bureau Insurance American Property Casualty Insurance Association Indiana Farmers Insurance National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies twitter @IIHS_autosafety Infinity Property & Casualty @iihs_autosafety Kemper Corporation instagram Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Companies La Capitale General Insurance youtube IIHS Liberty Mutual Insurance Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Company Main Street America Insurance MAPFRE Insurance Group Insurance Group MetLife