The auto industry is challenging a new US safety rule that would require all cars and light trucks to be equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology. The rule, set to take effect in four years, is estimated to save at least 362 lives annually. Road safety experts applaud the regulation, while automakers argue it will be costly and difficult to implement. This isn't the first time the industry has resisted safety advancements, a history that includes fighting against speed governors and opposing Ralph Nader's landmark book 'Unsafe at Any Speed'.
For at least 100 years, automakers have stuck to a tried and trusted playbook: They’ll kick, scream, and obfuscate before they’re forced by law to fit profit-draining, life-saving technology.
is that it will cut into their profits. The Washington, DC–based Alliance for Automotive Innovation told NHTSA that the “proposed phase-in schedule may require redesigns outside of the normal product development cycle” and that this “would significantly increase costs.” The Biden administration stipulation—mostly achievable with software tweaks, not hardware upgrades—was labeled as “flawed” by the Alliance, which filed suit in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
would be “practically impossible with available technology.” However, a close read of several brands' owner manuals suggests otherwise. The 2022 Toyota Prius Prime manual states that its system’s maximum AEB activation speed is 112 mph; ditto for the 2022 Lexus NX 250. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade owner’s manual lists the maximum AEB activation speed as 124.27 mph.
testing for clients. “We know that there are vehicles currently available that already come close to achieving the standard,” said Wong. NHTSA acknowledges that
Safety Law AUTO INDUSTRY SAFETY REGULATION AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING NHTSA ROAD SAFETY
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