United States: By September 2029, almost all new cars must be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems

According to Reuters, at the end of April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that by September 2029, almost all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the United States must be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems (AEB). Once the new regulations take effect, at least 360 lives will be saved and at least 24,000 injuries will be prevented each year.

In its 2021 infrastructure law, Congress directed NHTSA to write a rule to establish minimum performance standards for automatic emergency braking systems, which use sensors such as cameras and radar to detect the possibility of a collision and can automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not.

Image source: Tesla

The new rules will require automatic emergency braking systems to detect pedestrians during both day and night, though some smaller manufacturers will be allowed until September 2030 to meet the standards.

NHTSA had proposed requiring nearly all vehicles to comply with the rule in 2023, three years after it was published, but now gives automakers five years to do so. Under NHTSA's requirements, all passenger cars and trucks will be able to stop and avoid hitting the vehicle in front at speeds up to 62 mph; the braking system will need to automatically brake when a collision with the vehicle in front is imminent and the car is traveling at speeds up to 90 mph; and the system can be activated at speeds up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.

Traffic deaths in the United States fell 3.6% in 2023, the second consecutive year of decline, but remained well above pre-pandemic levels and higher than any year since 2008 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Pedestrian deaths rose 0.7% to 7,522 in 2022, the highest number since 1981.

In 2016, 20 automakers voluntarily agreed to make automatic emergency braking standard for almost all U.S. cars by 2022. In December 2023, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that the 20 automakers had equipped at least 95% of their vehicles with AEB systems.