The Emergency Braking Tech U.S. Safety Regulators Say All Vehicles Should Have – SlashGear

In the announcement, NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson added, “This proposed rule is a major safety advancement,” which gets to the heart of why the Department of Transportation is looking to require AEB technology in the first place. If adopted, it’s expected to dramatically limit pedestrian-involved and rear-end crashes in the United States.

Projections by the NHTSA estimate the rule would lead to AEB systems saving at least 360 lives per year — nearly one a day — as well as reduce injuries by at least 24,000 per year. Because so many crashes would be less destructive or completely avoided altogether, AEB technology would have a ripple effect in other ways. This includes reducing traffic that occurs in the aftermath of crashes, as well as freeing up first responders for other emergencies, as well as property damage resulting from rear-end crashes being significantly reduced.

The impact AEB could have is exactly why the Department of Transportation is pushing for the proposed regulations. Regarding the NHTSA’s announcement, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said, “Today, we take an important step forward to save lives and make our roadways safer for all Americans.” Recalling prior government regulations, he added, “Just as life-saving innovations from previous generations like seatbelts and airbags have helped improve safety, requiring automatic emergency braking on cars and trucks would keep all of us safer on our roads.”