Yahoo Autos Automakers Hate The New Federal Emergency Braking Rule
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Back in April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a new rule for passenger car safety. It states that by 2029 all new passenger vehicles must be outfitted with advanced automatic emergency braking systems. Now automakers are pushing back on the rule, saying it’s “practically impossible” to implement, per Reuters.
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The pushback came from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which advocates for pretty much every major automaker operating in the United States. They contend that with current technology, such a requirement just isn’t in reach.
What’s more, the group said at higher speeds the systems would cause vehicles to brake sooner than a normal driver would. That could result in rear-end collisions. We’ve seen safety regulations lead to unintentional increases in crashes and injuries, which is always ironic.
Advanced automatic emergency braking systems are designed to keep vehicles traveling up to 62 mph from hitting other cars in front of them without driver input. This brilliant idea which apparently is basically impossible was bundled into the huge infrastructure omnibus law of 2021. We have a feeling this isn’t the last time something in that huge tome will be challenged by the auto industry at large.
Another concern brought up by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation is that the advanced automatic emergency braking systems include expensive components. If you think cars are expensive now, just wait until safety regulations help push prices up further.
The Alliance’s CEO John Bozzella said in a letter to Congress that the systems “won’t improve driver or pedestrian safety.” He contends this rule helps demonstrate the dysfunction apparent in NHTSA’s rulemaking process.
If that sounds harsh, we’re not entirely sure it is. After all, pedestrian safety standards have led to higher hood heights on trucks and SUVs, which in turn has been cited as a major pedestrian safety hazard. There are countless other examples like that, many of them recent.
Source: Reuters
Image via Mercedes-Benz
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