Crash Avoidance Tech? More Like Crash Assistance, Maybe…

So, the safety experts tested those fancy "automatic braking" systems on ten popular small SUVs. Turns out... oof. Only ONE got a "good", and SEVEN were straight-up bad. Yikes for anyone hoping not to get rear-ended.

Here's the breakdown:

• The Winner: Subaru Forester. Only one that actually avoided hitting stuff at all the speeds they tested.

• The "Meh" Bunch: Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4. Did... alright.

• Risky Rides: Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass. Not great, not terrible.

• The Losers: Chevy Equinox, Mazda CX-5, Mitsubishi Outlander, VW Taos. Basically ignored motorcycles, barely slowed down sometimes.

The real problem? They bumped up the test speeds to match how people actually drive. Turns out, these systems were great at stopping for other cars, but SUCK for bikes or bigger trucks.

Here's what the experts say: Higher speeds = worse accidents, especially for bikers and those rear-ended by big trucks. Those are some of the worst crashes, so this tech FAILING is a huge deal!

The Forester won because it actually TRIED to stop at all speeds. Even slowed down a lot before hitting the fake motorcycle. The others? Well, the Equinox barely reacted AT ALL. Seriously, just cruised into the motorcycle like it didn't exist.

Point is, don't trust your SUV's fancy tech too much. It's good to have, but it won't always save you. Gotta pay attention and drive defensively, no matter what the car commercials say.