DETROIT — In the not-too-distant future, automatic emergency braking will have to come standard on all new passenger vehicles in the United States, a requirement that the government says will save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries every year.
It's the U.S. government's first attempt to regulate automated driving functions and is likely to help curb some of the Although about 90% of new vehicles have the automatic braking standard now under a voluntary agreement with automakers, at present there are no performance requirements, so some systems are may not be that effective. The new regulations set standards for vehicles to automatically stop and avoid hitting other vehicles or pedestrians, even at night.
It also will drive up prices, which NHTSA estimates at $354 million per year in 2020 dollars, or $82 per vehicle. But Buttigieg said it will save 362 lives per year, prevent about 24,000 injuries and save billions in property damage. The standards require vehicles to stop and avoid hitting a vehicle in front of them at speeds up to 62 miles per hour . Also they must apply the brakes automatically at up to 90 mph if a collision with vehicle ahead is imminent.
In addition, there were 6,272 pedestrians killed in crashes, with 65% of those people being hit by the front of a passenger vehicle. The regulation said radar would have to be added to about 5% of the systems in order to comply with the requirements.