Automatic emergency braking systems are becoming increasingly common in new cars as a means to prevent accidents. Soon, this safety feature will be standard in all new vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalised a regulation that will require all new vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking within the next five years.
These systems operate by using advanced sensors like cameras and radar. When these sensors detect a potential collision with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or any other obstacle, the system automatically applies the brakes.
These systems operate by using advanced sensors like cameras and radar. When these sensors detect a potential collision with another vehicle, a pedestrian, or any other obstacle, the system automatically applies the brakes.
While it doesn’t guarantee that the collision will be totally avoided, people who support the new technology argue that it can massively reduce the risk of accidents in many cases, protecting both the driver and members of the public. Additionally, it helps to mitigate the impact by slowing down the vehicle, potentially resulting in collisions at lower speeds.
At the moment, there are ongoing efforts to enhance these systems even further. It’s estimated that approximately 90% of new vehicles feature this technology, but there are currently no standardised performance requirements. The new NHTSA regulation will establish universal standards that all systems must meet.
However, despite having a large number of supporters, there are some experts who don’t believe it’s as effective as previously suggested. In 2022, AAA carried out a study to see how the system worked when driving at higher speeds – with mixed results.
According to Greg Brannon, director of AAA’s automotive engineering and industry relations: “Automatic emergency braking does well at tackling the limited task it was designed to do. Unfortunately, that task was drawn up years ago, and the regulator’s slow-speed crash standards haven’t evolved.
Testing requirements for this technology, or any vehicle safety system for that matter, must be updated to handle faster, more realistic speeds and scenarios with the greatest safety benefit for drivers.”
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