NHTSA finalizes automatic emergency braking standard for cars, light trucks
The rule, which goes into effect in 2029, is expected to save at least 360 lives and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.
Automakers will be required to include automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, including systems that can detect pedestrians, on all passenger vehicles and light trucks starting in September 2029, according to a final rule from the National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This final rule applies to all U.S. light vehicles with a gross weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
AEB systems use sensors to detect if a vehicle is close to hitting an object in front of it and then apply the brakes if the driver has not. The new pedestrian standard will require AEB systems that can detect pedestrians in both daylight and darker conditions.
The standard requires all cars be able to stop and avoid contact with a vehicle in front of them while traveling up to 62 mph, the NHTSA reported. Further, AEB systems must be able to apply the brakes automatically up to 90 mph when a collision with a lead vehicle is imminent and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.
“Automatic emergency braking is proven to save lives and reduce serious injuries from frontal crashes, and this technology is now mature enough to require it in all new cars and light trucks,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in a release. “In fact, this technology is now so advanced that we’re requiring these systems to be even more effective at higher speeds and to detect pedestrians.”
Research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that AEB systems can reduce rear-end crashes by 50%, while rear-end crashes that result injury decrease by 56%.
The new standard is expected to prevent 360 deaths and at least 24,000 injuries each year, while saving consumers and businesses at least $5 billion, according conservative estimates, the Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety reported.
“After years of skyrocketing traffic fatalities, NHTSA’s historic action on AEB is a true game changer. It will protect road users from crashes, including pedestrians who accounted for almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities in 2022,” Cathy Chase, president of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said in a release. “This rule is a major victory for all consumers and public safety.”
A rule requiring heavy vehicles, including tractor trailers, to have AEB systems is in the process of being finalized, the NHTSA reported.
Related: