Starting in 2029, a new federal safety regulation in the United States will require all new cars and trucks to be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems. This technology, which hits the brakes to avoid a collision if the driver does not react, will impose more stringent requirements than current systems on most vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set a September 2029 compliance date, confident that the systems will be ready by then. The systems must be able to automatically hit the brakes to avoid collisions at speeds of up to 62 miles per hour and begin braking at speeds up to 90 miles per hour if a collision is imminent. Additionally, the systems must detect pedestrians.
The new rules were established due to the rising number of traffic deaths in recent years, with an estimated 41,000 people killed in automobile accidents in the United States in 2023. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that the finalized vehicle safety standards will save hundreds of lives and prevent tens of thousands of injuries annually. Automatic braking systems, a relatively new feature, have already proven to save lives since their introduction in 2011. Utilizing cameras, radar, or a combination of both, these systems alert the driver of potential collisions and automatically apply the brakes if necessary.
Car manufacturers have stated that they voluntarily adopted automatic emergency braking systems in 2016, making the technology standard in the majority of new vehicles on the market. About 90 percent of new vehicles currently for sale have some form of automatic emergency braking. However, there have been concerns from carmakers about the systems taking away the driver’s authority at high speeds. The industry’s main lobbying group, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, believed that the expectation for manufacturers to provide undefined levels of avoidance at all speeds was impractical and unreasonable.
The estimated cost of implementing the new regulations is an average of $23 per vehicle. This minimal cost is seen as a small price to pay for the potential lives saved and injuries prevented by the mandated automatic emergency braking systems. While the rules may go beyond the present technological feasibility, regulators remain confident that the systems will be ready for implementation by 2029. The new requirements aim to enhance overall vehicle safety and reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries each year.
