NHTSA Finalizes Automatic Braking Rule to Advance Road Safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued its final update to federal regulations that govern vehicle design, mandating new features to protect pedestrians and prevent crashes. The new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard calls for automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology for vehicles and pedestrians on all passenger cars and light trucks by 2029.

According to a press release from the NHTSA, “The new standard requires all cars be able to stop and avoid contact with a vehicle in front of them up to 62 miles per hour and that the systems must detect pedestrians in both daylight and darkness. In addition, the standard requires that the system 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.” The technology is designed to detect pedestrians and vehicles during daylight and darker conditions. 

The agency estimates this could save over 360 lives each year, based on fatality statistics. The standard fulfills a provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and advances the National Roadway Safety Strategy, a federal effort to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries.