Future AEB regulations must consider system performance

In May 2023, the US Department of Transportation’s (DoT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed that automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems should be installed in all newly produced light vehicles. The following month, it proposed the same requirement for heavy vehicles. Final rule publications are yet to be announced.

Through a combination of software and sensor hardware, AEB systems can detect an impending collision event and either apply a vehicle’s brakes or supplement the driver’s braking force. The safety benefits of the technology, and thus the proposals, are clear: NHTSA estimates that the two rules could save 515 lives and prevent 32,814 injuries per year.

However, while NHTSA’s proposals are a step in the right direction, they arguably do not go far enough in stipulating the quality and performance of AEB systems.