What are the pros and cons of active braking systems?
3 Answers
Active braking systems offer the benefit of enhancing driving safety, but they currently have unresolved technical issues such as sudden braking, low success rates in braking, and low intelligence levels. It is unrealistic to expect active braking systems to completely avoid accidents; rather, they can reduce the severity of accidents. Introduction to active braking systems: 1. Function: These systems are safety designs aimed at preventing car accidents and minimizing injuries to passengers. Examples include ABS, EBD, and TCS, which are all active safety features. Their main characteristic is improving vehicle stability and striving to prevent accidents. Other features like high-mounted brake lights, front and rear fog lights, and rear window defoggers are also part of active safety designs. 2. Working principle: To achieve automatic or assisted braking, the system must consist of three parts: perception, decision-making, and execution. This means using radar and cameras as vehicle sensors for the perception part. The sensors, whether built into the ECU or as standalone external ECUs, handle the decision-making part. Finally, the braking request is sent via the bus to the actuator, such as ESP (or other devices), to execute the braking action on the vehicle.
As a driver with years of experience, I believe the advantage of the automatic emergency braking system lies in its significant enhancement of safety, particularly in preventing rear-end collisions. It can instantly detect obstacles ahead and automatically apply the brakes, reacting several times faster than a human. This is especially useful for novice drivers or during long-distance driving to prevent distractions. I've seen numerous cases where it reduced collision probabilities and even potentially lowered insurance costs. However, there are downsides: the system sometimes misjudges situations, causing sudden unnecessary braking, which could pose a rear-end collision risk if it happens on highways. Maintenance is also troublesome, as sensors can easily be covered by mud or dust, leading to failures in rainy weather or complex road conditions. Moreover, if drivers become overly reliant on it, they might relax their vigilance, potentially developing bad habits over time. Regular sensor checks are crucial to ensure its efficient operation.
The last time I was driving, I almost rear-ended another car, but the automatic emergency braking system saved me by stopping the car automatically and preventing an accident. This system has many advantages: it can compensate for human errors, respond quickly in emergencies, and especially reduce minor scrapes in heavy traffic, making driving more reassuring. However, its drawbacks are quite annoying: it can be overly sensitive and brake unnecessarily, like suddenly slamming the brakes when slowly approaching an obstacle in a parking lot, which can be startling, or giving false alarms in foggy weather. Additionally, the sensors require frequent cleaning, as urban dust can easily dirty them and affect performance, and repairs aren’t cheap. My advice is to stay focused while using it and not rely on it entirely—it’s an assistive tool, not a miracle worker—but overall, it does enhance driving safety.
