Industry News: NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 Auto Manufacturers Commit To Make Automatic Braking Systems Standard By 2022

[William Maley]

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A historic commitment was announced today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and twenty automakers to make automatic emergency braking (AEB) standard by 2022.

 

“It’s an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives. It’s a win for safety and a win for consumers," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

 

This agreement comes as a result of mounting evidence that AEB systems can cut rear-end crashes by as much as 40 percent.

 

Back in September, NHTSA and IIHS announced that ten automakers - Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo - agreed to have AEB systems standard on all their vehicles in the future. Since then, the various groups have been working out various details of the agreement. Plus, another ten automakers - Fiat Chrysler, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, and Subaru - have added their names.

 

All told, this group represents about 99 percent of U.S. light-vehicle sales.

 

The key thing to keep in mind is this isn't a government mandate. It is agreement between the between automakers and the government, something NHTSA says will cause widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule.

 

The agreement will come into effect in two phases. Phase 1 will require all vehicles with a gross weight under 8,500 pounds to have AEB by September 1, 2022. Phase 2 requires vehicles with a gross weight between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds to have AEB by September 1, 2025.

 

Source: NHTSA

 

Press Release is on Page 2

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U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles

 

Thursday, March 17, 2016

 

McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA’s 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022.

 

Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA. The unprecedented commitment means that this important safety technology will be available to more consumers more quickly than would be possible through the regulatory process.

 

AEB systems help prevent crashes or reduce their severity by applying the brakes for the driver. The systems use on-vehicle sensors such as radar, cameras or lasers to detect an imminent crash, warn the driver and apply the brakes if the driver does not take sufficient action quickly enough.

 

NHTSA estimates that the agreement will make AEB standard on new cars three years faster than could be achieved through the formal regulatory process. During those three years, according to IIHS estimates, the commitment will prevent 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries.

 

“It’s an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “It’s a win for safety and a win for consumers."

 

Based on mounting evidence that AEB effectively reduced crashes and injuries in the U.S. and around the world, NHTSA and IIHS issued a challenge to industry in September 2015 to encourage automakers to voluntarily make AEB a standard feature. A series of meetings followed to establish details of the commitment.

 

“IIHS member companies strongly support the adoption of effective safety technologies,” said IIHS Board Chairman and CEO of American Family Insurance, Jack Salzwedel. “Deploying AEB on a wide scale will allow us to further evaluate the technology’s effectiveness and its impact on insurance losses, so that more insurers can explore offering discounts or lower premiums to consumers who choose AEB-equipped vehicles.”

 

“We’re getting these safety systems into vehicles much faster than what would have been otherwise possible,” said NHTSA Administrator, Dr. Mark Rosekind. “A commitment of this magnitude is unprecedented, and it will bring more safety to more Americans sooner.”

 

“The benefits of this commitment are far reaching,” said IIHS Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer David Zuby. “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.”

 

“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, who attended today’s announcement. "Including all models in the agreement ensures that safety isn't for just those who can afford it."

 

NHTSA and IIHS also announced that Consumer Reports will assist in monitoring automaker progress toward meeting the AEB commitment. Jake Fisher, Director of Auto Testing for Consumer Reports, said, “We have been calling on automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard in all new vehicles, and today is an important step toward reaching that goal. This proven technology is among the most promising safety advances we’ve seen since electronic stability control almost two decades ago. We look forward to working with NHTSA and IIHS to help put this plan into action and hold automakers accountable for their commitments.”

 

Today’s commitment will make AEB standard on virtually all light-duty cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 lbs. or less beginning no later than Sept. 1, 2022. AEB will be standard on virtually all trucks with a gross vehicle weight between 8,501 lbs. and 10,000 lbs. beginning no later than Sept. 1, 2025.

 

As NHTSA continues its regulatory work in this area, NHTSA will track the progress industry is making towards its commitment.

 

The commitment takes into account the evolution of AEB technology. It requires a level of functionality that is in line with research and crash data demonstrating that such systems are substantially reducing crashes, but does not stand in the way of improved capabilities that are just beginning to emerge. The performance measures are based on real world data showing that vehicles with this level of capability are avoiding crashes.

 

To encourage further development of AEB technology, NHTSA will accelerate its research on more advanced AEB applications, including systems that reduce the risk of collisions with pedestrians. In December, NHTSA announced plans to rate AEB systems and other advanced technologies under its 5-Star Safety Ratings beginning in model year 2018.

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[smk4565]

Not at all surprised by this.  Lane departure warnings, or even an autonomous steer system to avoid accidents will probably become mandated in the 2020s also.  This will of course keep pushing the cost of cars up.

 

On a related not, without meaning to get too political, we can mandate auto braking to cut down on the 35,000 people a year killed in car accidents, which I support.  But then we can't mandate a fingerprint or handprint recognition pad on the handle of every fire arm, so they can't be fired unless the registered owner's fingerprint is on it?  Seems like that would cut down the 35,000 gun deaths a year in the US.

[loki]

SMK

[G. David Felt]

So this means for those of us that are real gear heads, we hold onto our older auto's and keep them running so we do not have to deal with stupid nanny devices that will fail and cause bigger problems. 

 

Just imagine the stupid Nanny devices decides to fail and lock up all the wheels so you have a locked up auto causing a reending accident and incapable of being moved due to locked wheels blocking the highway until a recker comes and drags it onto the flatbed and creates flat spots on the tires.

 

Lovely, just hear the Dollars ringing up in repairs / replacement parts.

 

Idiots in DC! 

[cletus8269]

On a related not, without meaning to get too political, we can mandate auto braking to cut down on the 35,000 people a year killed in car accidents, which I support.  But then we can't mandate a fingerprint or handprint recognition pad on the handle of every fire arm, so they can't be fired unless the registered owner's fingerprint is on it?  Seems like that would cut down the 35,000 gun deaths a year in the US.

 

sorry but if i need my gun to go bang im not so inclined to hope it scans my hand or fingers quick enough to save my life, id just throw it at the assailant and go for my trusty every day carry auto knife and get to work. K.I.S.S. will always be the best practice in "need this to work now" situations...

 

now, back to the topic at hand, i saw a write up about this on car throttle or bangshift (dont remember which). certain insurance companies are starting to cut breaks to the owners of these safety feature equipped vehicles. sounds good at first, but then someone threw in the hypothesis that eventually what will happen is vehicles without such features will start falling into a higher insurance bracket in the years to come... an interesting conundrum to say the least. 

[oldshurst442]

Im perplexed with all this technology...

 

When these cars are new....the technology will be flawless...

 

But when the automobile in question gets a few thousand miles on the odometer and a few years under the belt..an automobile is a machine...and machines break down and need maintenance, both scheduled and unexpected because machines...eventually break down and need fixin'.

 

So...what happens to the technology that is there to "save our lives" but needs regular maintenance and repair...and the CHEAP ASS owner DOES NOT DO the REQUIRED maintenance?

 

After all...some people forgo oil changes for Christ's Sake!!!

People dont even change a burnt light bulb...

SHYTE!!!  People dont even check their tire's air pressure....

 

I FEAR the future we are creating with this nonsense!!!

We assume that these technology filled life saving automobiles will be just as pristine and in good working order as the day the car left the assembly line....yet for 100 years plus..we KNOW that aint true...yet we INSIST to ignore...

 

I FEAR THE FUTURE WE ARE CREATING!!!!

[ocnblu]

Olds, OLDS!  Settle down a bit.  Just... unplug... you'll feel better.

 

Stupid automatic braking.  One more nail in the coffin of driving enjoyment.

[daves87rs]

Not sure I like this idea at all....

[Suaviloquent]

Ehh, survival of the fittest. More and more people just view cars as appliances. As such, even in commoditzed goods - you can still make a name for yourself.

 

I would only buy GE or Whirlpool or Kenmore for example

[cletus8269]

Olds, OLDS!  Settle down a bit.  Just... unplug... you'll feel better.

 

Stupid automatic braking.  One more nail in the coffin of driving enjoyment.

 

alllllthough, if it keeps a soccer mom or some other ding dong doing everything but driving from hitting my impala while im trying to enjoy a drive i could bask in the assurance that it lessens the possibility of me having to commit manslaughter...

[oldshurst442]

 

Olds, OLDS!  Settle down a bit.  Just... unplug... you'll feel better.

 

Stupid automatic braking.  One more nail in the coffin of driving enjoyment.

 

alllllthough, if it keeps a soccer mom or some other ding dong doing everything but driving from hitting my impala while im trying to enjoy a drive i could bask in the assurance that it lessens the possibility of me having to commit manslaughter...

 

Yeah...that is the upside with all this technology!

Glass half full / glass half empty situation...