- Congress sets minimum performance standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems.
- NHTSA requires all cars and trucks to be able to stop at 62 miles per hour and avoid hitting vehicles in front of them.
- Twenty automakers equip at least 95% of their vehicles with AEBs.
Nearly all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the United States must be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems by September 2029, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Monday, adding that the rule would save at least 360 lives and prevent at least 24,000 injuries each year.
The new rules come amid a surge in traffic fatalities following COVID-19 lockdowns.
A rule for AEB systems
Congress directed NHTSA in the Infrastructure Act of 2021 to create a rule that sets minimum performance standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems that use sensors such as cameras and radar to detect when a vehicle is approaching a collision and then automatically brake when the driver is not doing so.
The rule requires the system to detect pedestrians during the day and at night. By September 2030, some low-volume manufacturers will be allowed to comply.
NHTSA requires all cars and trucks to be able to stop at 62 miles per hour and avoid hitting vehicles in front of them. The rule requires the system to automatically brake at a top speed of 90 mph in the event of a collision with the vehicle in front and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.
Also read: Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software price drops to $8000
Also read: UK aims for fully self-driving cars by 2026
U.S. traffic fatalities are down in 2023
U.S. traffic fatalities fell 3.6% in 2023, the second consecutive year of decline, but still well above pre-pandemic levels.
In 2016, 20 automakers voluntarily agreed to establish automatic emergency braking standards for nearly all U.S. vehicles by 2022. In December 2023, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated that all 20 automakers have at least 95% of their vehicles equipped with AEBs.
