Automaker Group Urges Congress to Backpedal on Automatic Emergency Braking Mandate

Automakers are speaking out against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) decision to require automatic emergency braking (AEB) on all new vehicles by 2029, reports the Verge.

Initially announced by NHTSA this past April, the new standards will require all vehicles to have the capability to stop at up to speeds of 62mph to avoid striking a vehicle in front of them. When a potential collision with a lead vehicle is detected, the vehicle must be able to brake at up to 90 mph. 

It must also be able to detect pedestrians in daylight and at night, and have the capability to stop at up to 45mph to avoid striking them.

Opposition to these standards was voiced through a letter sent out to Congress by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s CEO John Bozzella. He argued that AEB’s sudden braking could catch other drivers off guard, leading to an increase in rear-end collisions. 

Bozzella cited test data from NHTSA, which found that only one vehicle was able to meet its proposed AEB requirements, as evidence of existing technology not yet being able to comply. Additionally, he noted the potential cost increases associated with implementing the hardware needed to have AEB in every vehicle.

“Here’s what I (regrettably) conclude will happen,” wrote Bozzella, “driving AEB equipped vehicles in the U.S. under NHTSA’s new standard will become unpredictable, erratic and will frustrate or flummox drivers.”