Automatic Emergency Braking to Be New Standard for Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration signed an agreement with 99% of the US auto market, such that all new standard vehicles will have emergency braking. The plans for production starts now, and the initiative will become nation-wide in 2022.
Just like air bags were once a luxury features which became standard, the NHTSA wants to make this new technology accessible to everyone. The agreement amongst the likes of Ford, Kia, Jaguar, Toyota and Honda is a clear commitment to do the same. Their agreement means they don't have to go through the strict regulatory process. If they had, there's no way regular consumers would see this on the market by September of 2022 (which...says a lot about our regulatory process.) We would have likely had to wait until 2025, and the Insurance Institute for Highways Safety estimates there could have been as many 12,000 injuries during that time which Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) could have prevented.
AEB works by sensing when a crash is about to happen through radar, lasers or cameras, and then warns the driver and actually applies brakes for the driver if they aren't able to react in time. Because of the statistics and the reduction of crashes already shown from vehicles with this mechanism, the official safety groups challenged automakers in 2015 to make this standard and it was formalized and publicized on March 17.
Insurance companies are over the moon about this agreement too. It lets them see just how effective the technology is across a wider scale and see just how much is saved when people use these types of vehicles. You may even start to see discounts on your insurance based on whether or not you have this feature. Everyone involved will continue to put their efforts into accurate research and compilation of data so there will be no doubt about the worthwhile cost-savings of AEB.
Just because it hasn't gone through all of the proper channels though doesn't mean the job will be hastily done. Standard safety procedures and testing are required before the cars hit the market. Both the NHTSA and Consumer Reports will monitor the progress of the different automakers and update interested parties about how each company is making the switch possible. Consumer Reports had already called for this change, and Director Jake Fisher said it was as promising as the electronic stability control in cars which was introduced back in the mid-1990s. Any vehicle under 8,500 pounds will technically fall under the 2022 deadline, with vehicles over 8,500 pounds having a deadline of September of 2025.
Whether your car has AEB or not, you could always stand to be more aware of your braking habits. Don't slam on your brakes when you don't have to, or you risk having a fender-bender of your very own. We all get spooked from time to time on the road or stop short when we realize our exit is closer than we thought, so it will take some conscious thought on everyone's part. Slow down by keeping your foot off the gas pedal as much as possible before you have to stop to gently ease into a full halt, so other drivers have as much warning as possible. You may even want to consider pumping your brakes to give drivers more of an indication when you're driving. There's no such thing as too much communication on the road, so you're better off doing more than less when it comes to stopping. Even minor accidents are a hassle, and your time is worth more than that.
Safety isn't just something to talk or write about, it takes real practice to make it a reality. The automakers are at least trying to do their part, and that means you should too. Taking a traffic school course or defensive driving class can mean the deletion of those pesky points on your drivers license, and may even give you an additional discount on your insurance premiums. If you choose a comedy driving school, then the humor could mean the lessons have an actual chance to stick!
