A group of 20 automakers have made a pledge to standardize automatic emergency braking in nearly all the new cars they sell in the U.S. by Sept. 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway announced in a Thursday press release.
The impact made by the pledge will be significant. In fact, the automakers involved account for 99 percent of the country’s new-car market. The companies include Audi, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors, Toyta, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
“The benefits of this commitment are far reaching,” said IIHS Executive VP and Chief Research Officer David Zuby in the press release. “From injuries and deaths averted to the recovery of productivity that would otherwise be lost in traffic jams caused by the crashes prevented. It also assures that all Americans will benefit from this technology.”
Automatic Emergency Braking technology helps prevent crashes or reduces the severity of a collision if it’s unavoidable. To accomplish this, the technology uses radars, cameras, or other sensors to sense an imminent crash. The driver of the vehicle is notified as soon as the imminent collision is identified, but the technology will kick in and apply the brakes automatically if the driver fails to respond in time.
The NHTSA said the pledge made by the 20 automakers will make automatic emergency braking a standard three years earlier than it would have been under the regulation that it had earlier planned to introduce. The administration projects that 28,000 crashes will be prevented due to the expedited change.
Under the pledge, all new vehicles weighing up to 8,500 pounds will feature automatic emergency braking technology by Sept. 1, 2022. The braking system is slated to become standard on almost all vehicles weighing up to 10,000 pounds by Sept. 1, 2025.
“With roadway fatalities on the rise, the commitment made today has the potential to save more lives than almost anything else we can accomplish in the next six years,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, according to the press release. “Including all models in the agreement ensures that safety isn’t for just those who can afford it.”
Consumer Reports has been asked to track the progress of the automakers so that they can be held more accountable for the pledge.
