Automatic emergency braking (AEB) mandate proposed for U.S. trucks
In an effort to reduce the number and severity of rear-end collisions, U.S. regulators are considering mandating automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems for heavier vehicles.
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revealed the initiative on June 22.
AEB systems utilize radar and camera-based sensors to detect situations in which a collision is imminent and automatically apply the brakes if the driver has not yet taken action, or apply additional braking force to supplement the driver's actions.
Under the proposed standards, the technology would need to function between 6 and 50 miles per hour (10 and 80 kilometers per hour).
Substantial safety problem
In the proposal, regulators state, "The safety issue addressed by AEB is significant."
According to the NHTSA, heavy vehicles are the striking vehicle in 60,000 rear-end collisions annually, or approximately 11% of all collisions involving heavy vehicles. According to its estimates, the proposed rule would annually prevent 19,118 collisions, save 155 lives, and prevent 8,814 injuries.
A proposed rule mandating AEB systems in passenger vehicles and light trucks is projected to save 360 lives and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually.
In addition, the heavy-vehicle notice proposes new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations mandating that electronic stability control and AEB systems be activated when vehicles are being driven.
‘The power to save lives’
In 2015, the Truck Safety Coalition, Center for Auto Safety, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and Road Safe America petitioned for heavy vehicles to be equipped with automatic forward collision avoidance and mitigation systems. And the rulemaking also supports National Transportation Safety Board recommendations.
NHTSA began researching related technologies over 15 years ago. Most recently, it was determined that a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia equipped with AEB could avoid collisions at velocities between 40 and 85 km/h with lead vehicles.
"Advanced driver assistance systems, such as AEB, have the ability to save lives," said NHTSA chief counsel Ann Carlson in a press release. "Today's announcement is a significant step toward improving safety on our nation's roadways by reducing and, ultimately, eradicating tragedies that harm Americans that are preventable."
"Establishing AEB standards is a key component of the department's National Roadway Safety Strategy," FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson explained. This technology can improve the efficacy of collision prevention strategies for commercial motor vehicles and reduce road fatalities.
American Trucking Associations supported the proposition.
"ATA has long supported the use of AEB on all new vehicles," said Dan Horvath, vice president of safety policy for the American Trucking Associations. This proposal for heavy duty trucks is opportune and appropriate in light of the recent NHTSA rule mandating AEB on all new passenger vehicles.
"The trucking industry supports the use of proven safety technology like automatic emergency braking," he added. "We look forward to reviewing this proposal from the NHTSA and FMCSA and working with them as it is implemented."
The public comment period on the proposed rule will last sixty days.
Will Canada mirror the AEB requirements?
Such proposals extend beyond the United States.
Transport Canada has been investigating similar mandates for this side of the boundary, and as recently as the spring of 2021, it consulted with interested parties.
"Department officials are examining methods to harmonize any proposed regulations with those of other nations whenever possible. Next steps include investigating an outcome-based approach, which could facilitate harmonization by avoiding Canadian-specific prescriptive requirements that may differ from requirements in other countries, according to a related update from the regulator.
"Transport Canada continues to engage closely with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in support of North American alignment of vehicle safety standards, and is reviewing the U.S. AEB proposal accordingly," a representative confirmed to TruckNews.com.
"Transport Canada continues to conduct research on AEB systems to inform its regulatory approach, and its Motor Vehicle Test Centre has conducted approximately 11,500 tests on vehicles from a wide variety of manufacturers and models."