NHTSA finalizes automatic emergency braking rule for 2029

Passenger cars and light trucks must have automatic emergency braking systems standard by September 2029, according to an announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The NHTSA stated in a press release that the new standard, FMVSS No. 127, will require cars with the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system to be able to stop and avoid contact with a vehicle ahead of them up to 62 mph.

The AEB system uses sensors in the front of the vehicle to detect when a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian is imminent. The AEB system automatically applies the brakes if the driver has not already done so.

The standard will require the AEB system to automatically apply the brakes up to 90 mph when a collision with a lead vehicle is imminent. The standard requires the AEB to automatically apply the brakes up to 45 mph when detecting a pedestrian.

Additionally, the standard requires that the AEB system detects pedestrians in both daylight and darkness.

This mandate applies to U.S. light vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.

The goal of the new mandate is to significantly reduce the number of rear-end and pedestrian collisions. The NHTSA projects that the new AEB will save “at least 360 lives” per year and will prevent at least 24,000 injuries per year.

The standard meets a provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that requires all new passenger vehicles to have AEB. The provision also requires new passenger vehicles to have lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and forward collision warning.

“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,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman in a statement.

“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. Most new vehicles already come with AEB, and we expect that many cars and light trucks will be able to meet this standard ahead of the deadline, meaning even more lives will be saved thanks to this technology.”