Automakers Want Feds to Make Brakes Compliant with New Emergency Braking Rules

The Biden administration wants automakers to equip their vehicles with new and improved emergency braking systems that could reduce crashes and save lives. Automakers wouldn’t want that. So a lobby group representing some of the biggest names in the auto industry is suing to block the new rule from going into effect.

The Automotive Innovation Alliance, which represents automakers such as Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen –sued An attempt by the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to overturn new brake regulations adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) before they take effect in 2029.

So what is this rule that is so intrusive that these companies can’t even comply with the four-year production period?

Well, last year the US Department of Transportation concluded A new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard that requires all light trucks, including passenger cars, SUVs and pickup trucks, to implement automatic emergency braking systems capable of stopping at 62 mph and avoiding contact with other vehicles in front. It must also brake automatically “at 90 mph when a collision with a leading vehicle is likely, and at 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.” The systems must be able to detect pedestrians both during the day and at night.

Car manufacturers protested when new regulations are proposed and petitions are filed encouraging NHTSA to reconsider under the understanding that currently available technology may not meet the standards set by the agency. (There is already a group of car manufacturers Trump asked also to roll back the rules.) NHTSA was largely unaffected by the lawsuit argues their goal is to force industry to develop and use that technology to meet new demands.

For what it’s worth, AEB systems are quite effective in reducing crashes. A Education from AAA It found that 2024 car models equipped with the current version of the safety were able to prevent 100% of forward collisions when tested at 35mph. NHTSA’s own data shows that increasing AEB requirements to 62 mph would save 360 ​​lives and prevent more than 24,000 injuries per year, and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute believes the technology could lead to “significantly higher safety gains” that would help prevent more accidents.

Interestingly, the same lobby group that believes the technology to help cars brake automatically at higher speeds cannot be achieved pushed for looser rules This will allow more autonomous vehicles to be placed on roads across the country. As it turns out, innovation first, safety second.