We’re pretty sure that in your motoring life, you’ve encountered unexpected objects on the road. It can be a tyre carcass, debris from lorries, sticks and rods, or in this case, a wayward human.
Twitter user Adam J uploaded this video from his car’s dashcam, which shows a man on the fast lane of the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) this morning. The man must have been attempting to cross the multi-lane highway, which is crazy because a pedestrian bridge is nearby, probably less than 100 metres from where he attempted the crossing.
In front of the camcar was a Honda Jazz which had to brake and do an evasive manoeuvre to avoid the man. Fortunately, the Jazz managed to avoid the human, and Adam also breathed a sigh of relief to have avoided a collision with the Jazz. He said that his car’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system kicked in and helped save the situation. I think you can also hear AEB in action in the clip.
There was someone walking on the fast lane on the NPE this morning ???? pic.twitter.com/MIjdUg9O2N
— Adam J. ???? (@ad4mjohnston) March 24, 2022
Collision warning and automatic braking is made for situations like these, when you’re not expecting an incident in front of you and therefore can’t react quick enough or aren’t primed for action. It helps prevent fender benders (saved me a couple of times already) and reduces the chance of serious injury or death if a collision happens, because speed had been reduced prior to impact.
Safety systems are like insurance. Unlike a bodykit or a flash set or rims, or even a nicer-looking infotainment system, you don’t use these safety features often, or even get to see them at all. Seems like a waste of money even, but in times of emergency, you’ll be wishing you had that life (and pocket) saver. If you can afford it, always choose the option with AEB and other ADAS features, whether it’s another variant of the same model or another brand/model altogether.
We can also no longer give the excuse that carmakers don’t provide safety kit at the affordable end of the market. All variants of Malaysia’s best-selling car (the Myvi, in case you’ve been living abroad for the past 15 years) can be had with Perodua’s ASA suite, which includes Pre-collision Warning, Pre-collision Braking (AEB), Front Departure Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control. There’s even Lane Departure Warning and Prevention. ASA is also available on the cheaper Axia and Bezza, although AEB for Proton starts at the X50 Flagship, which is above RM100k.
AEB is good to have, but it needs space to do its work. So, always leave a good gap between yourself and the car in front, be alert and drive safe. Good to have a dashcam, too.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
