I’m reminded of a trucker that had a similar system on her big rig which slammed on the breaks every time she went through this one overpass. Throw in these connected cars which are becoming more and more drive by wire without direct controls, and they’re making them ticking time bombs. Whether our own government or another nation state, hacking vehicles could cause massive disruptions and economic damage to a country. They also want to add systems to see if you’re inebriated before allowing you to drive, and all of this technology is making vehicles much more expensive with manufacturers reducing quality, e.g. like forgoing gaskets to use silicon glue which will most likely start leaking oil and fluids before 100,000 miles. It’s almost as if they don’t want gasoline vehicles to last like they once did so they can get rid of them on schedule. This also applies to CAFE standards driving smaller turbo engines which won’t last as long as larger naturally aspirated engines. And it’s looking like they’re going to bail out EV manufacturers where EVs will become dirt cheap to lease and a no-brainer for the inflation squeezed, hurting gasoline sales even further. If you do need a new vehicle, sooner than later is probably a good idea, and pay attention to where it’s assembled as Mexico is known for poor quality even worse than America (Japan does the best).
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60662904/federal-automatic-emergency-braking-mandate
It could save as many as 360 lives a year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.
By Emmet White
It’s not an exaggeration to say that cars are getting more advanced with each model year. From infotainment growth to semi-autonomous driving technology, manufacturers are adding features in each cycle, and often charging for them too.
However, automated emergency braking systems will be a federally mandated standard . . . by 2029. Following the finalization of a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is announcing the new safety standard for all passenger cars and light trucks by September 2029.
Notably, the federal standardization of automated emergency braking systems includes pedestrian-identifying emergency braking, too. Once implemented, the NHTSA projects that this standard will save at least 360 lives a year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually. Specifically, the federal agency claims that rear-end collisions and pedestrian injuries will both go down significantly.
“The new vehicle safety standards we finalized today will save hundreds of lives and prevent tens of thousands of injuries every year,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Come 2029, all cars must be able to stop and avoid contact with a vehicle in front of them at speeds up to 62 mph. Additionally, the system must be able to detect pedestrians in both daylight and darkness. As a final parameter, the federal standard will require the system to apply the brakes automatically up to 90 mph when a collision is imminent, and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.
“Automatic emergency braking is proven to save lives and reduce serious injuries from frontal crashes, and this technology is now mature enough to require it in all new cars and light trucks. In fact, this technology is now so advanced that we’re requiring these systems to be even more effective at higher speeds and to detect pedestrians,” said NHTSA deputy administrator Sophie Shulman.
While this move towards enhanced roadway safety is admirable, the rollout will take more than years. Similarly, recent testing from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concluded that not all automated emergency braking systems are built the same. Under stricter scrutiny, only a handful of models’ systems were able to properly detect motorcycles while others failed to slow sufficiently in testing.
NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are also looking into mandating that heavy vehicles, including tractor-trailers, have automatic emergency braking systems installed.