The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a rule that would make automatic emergency braking a mandatory feature on all new cars. The rule is still in its early stages, though it would mandate a system capable of automatically detecting and braking for other vehicles and pedestrians, day or night, at speeds up to 62 miles per hour.
The deadline for this proposal to become law is relatively long. NHTSA is currently in the process of receiving public comments on the proposal, after which it will decide whether to move forward with the rule in September 2023. If it does, automakers will have four years to comply with all components of the legislation .
The administration claims the rule could save up to 360 lives a year and prevent up to 24,000 injuries. It also mentions that property damage would also be seriously reduced. Even if the systems were only partially effective, NHTSA claims, mandatory AEB would still prevent serious injury and damage to vehicles.
AEB systems work by using a variety of sensors to detect objects in front of a car. If the driver doesn’t slow down fast enough to avoid a collision with the object, whether it’s a vehicle, a person or something else, the system will automatically apply the appropriate level of braking to avoid an impact. Many car manufacturers already have AEB systems installed in their vehicles, although some have been shown to falter at night and at higher speeds.
NHTSA’s new proposal is similar to its previous rule requiring safety cameras in all new cars. The deadline for this requirement was May 2018, although the law requiring safety cameras was passed by Congress in 2007 as part of Cameron Gulbransen’s Child Transportation Safety Act. NHTSA took until 2014 to issue requirements to automakers, three years past its 2011 deadline.
Similar delays could happen here, but in this case, NHTSA is taking the initiative instead of Congress. Many new cars also already have AEB systems as optional equipment, which could mean a faster rollout.
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