Automatic emergency braking systems required on 'nearly all' US vehicles under NHTSA proposal

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule that would require automatic emergency braking systems on “nearly all” U.S. cars and light trucks, officials said Wednesday.

The proposal could save at least 360 lives a year and reduce injuries by at least 24,000 people annually, NHTSA said in a news release.

If adopted, vehicles will be required to have AEB technology three years after the “publication of a final rule.”

“These AEB systems would result in significant reductions in property damage caused by rear-end crashes,” the NHTSA said in the release. “Many crashes would be avoided altogether, while others would be less destructive.”

The proposed rule is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which launched in January 2022 to address traffic deaths and injuries.

“Just as lifesaving innovations from previous generations like seat belts and air bags have helped improve safety, requiring automatic emergency braking on cars and trucks would keep all of us safer on our roads,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the release.

What are AEB systems?

An AEB system uses sensor technology to detect when a vehicle is close to crashing.

When the vehicle is close to an object, or person, it automatically applies the brakes even if the driver hasn’t done so.

“We’ve seen the benefits of the AEB system in some passenger vehicles already even at lower speeds, and we want to expand the use of the technology to save even more lives,” NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson said in the release.

Carlson said the rule would require all cars to be able to stop to avoid contact with another vehicle, or person, up to 62 miles per hour.