NHTSA Mandates Automatic Emergency Braking in New Vehicles by 2029

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has unveiled a new regulation that will require all new passenger vehicles in the United States to come standard with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems by September 2029. This rule, considered the most significant safety regulation in the past two decades, is designed to prevent many rear-end and pedestrian collisions, ultimately aiming to save 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries annually amid a post-COVID spike in traffic deaths.

The new standards set performance requirements for vehicles to automatically stop and avoid hitting other vehicles or pedestrians, even at night. AEB systems must be able to detect and avoid collisions with other vehicles at speeds up to 62 mph, as well as detect and avoid collisions with pedestrians at speeds up to 45 mph. The regulation will require additional engineering to strengthen software and possibly add hardware such as radar, which is estimated to cost $82 per vehicle.

While AEB is already common in new vehicles, the NHTSA's mandate will ensure that these life-saving systems are installed in nearly all new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. by the 2029 deadline, further enhancing road safety and reducing fatalities and injuries caused by crashes. In 2016, 20 automakers had voluntarily agreed to make AEB standard on nearly all U.S. vehicles by 2022, and by December 2023, all 20 automakers had equipped at least 95% of vehicles with AEB.

Why this matters: This mandate comes as traffic deaths have spiked following the COVID-19 lockdowns, with the fatality rate in 2023 being higher than any pre-pandemic year since 2008. The new regulation is part of the government's efforts to improve road safety and reduce the roughly 40,000 traffic deaths that occur each year in the United States.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that the US is "living through a crisis in roadway deaths" and that action needs to be taken. The NHTSA estimates that the mandated automatic emergency braking systems will save 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries annually. While the automotive industry has already voluntarily adopted these systems in the majority of new vehicles, the new rules set more stringent requirements. The estimated cost of implementing the new regulations is an average of $23 per vehicle, which is seen as a small price to pay for the potential lives saved and injuries prevented.

Key Takeaways

• NHTSA to require AEB in all new passenger vehicles by Sept 2029 to prevent crashes.
• AEB systems must detect and avoid collisions with vehicles up to 62 mph, pedestrians up to 45 mph.
• AEB already common, but mandate will ensure widespread adoption to enhance road safety.
• Mandate aims to save 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries annually amid rising traffic deaths.
• Estimated cost of $23 per vehicle to implement AEB, seen as small price for lives saved.