10 automakers commit to the US government to include automatic emergency braking in all new cars
12 Sep 2015
Ten automakers had committed to the US government to include automatic emergency braking in all new cars, a step safety advocates said could significantly reduce traffic deaths and injuries.
Making the technology widely available formed part of a new era in vehicle safety in which the focus was on preventing crashes rather than on protection of occupants from their effects, transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said yesterday in a statement announcing the commitments.
The announcement did not specify a timetable for implementation of the change.
The automakers included Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
The technology was already available in a number of vehicles, but typically as an option in higher-priced models like Cadillac, Infiniti and Lexus.
''If technologies such as automatic emergency braking are only available as options or on the most expensive models, too few Americans will see the benefits of this new era,'' Foxx said newstribune.com reported.
Automatic emergency braking included a range of systems designed to address the large number of crashes, especially rear-end crashes, in which drivers failed to apply the brakes did not apply sufficient braking power to avoid or mitigate a crash.
The systems used on-vehicle sensors such as radar, cameras or lasers to detect an imminent crash, warned the driver and, if the driver failed to take sufficient action, engaged the brakes.
The announcement of the commitment was made by administrator Mark Rosekind of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the dedication of a new expanded testing facility at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Ruckersville, Virginia.
Rosekind called it "a new era in safety technology."
Automatic Emergency Braking, (AEB) technology applied brakes autonomously to avoid collisions using sensors to monitor road conditions.
"Huge deal. Automatic emergency braking saves lives, prevents injuries, and reduces crashes," Rosekind told ABC News.
The technology was showing benefits in the real world, according to the insurance institute. The non-profit organisation, funded by auto insurers, said several studies showed that the technology could reduce insurance injury claims by as much as 35 per cent.
"If the technology can take over, it doesn't matter if that driver is drunk, drugged, drowsy, distracted, makes a bad choice about something else -- the technology could save their life and the people around them," said Rosekind. "Automatic emergency braking makes sure you don't hit whatever's in front of you."
The 10 manufacturers represented 57 per cent of US light-duty vehicle sales in 2014.
When the systems would enter new cars had still not been determined.
