Automatic Emergency Braking Gains Ground, May Become a Standard for Vehicles by 2022
The future of driving safety is closer than we originally thought, with the news that automatic braking is expected to be a standard for vehicles in as early as 2022. The technology will be installed in cars and light trucks within a six-year timeline while the heavier and bulkier SUVs and pickups trucks will have it by eight years. The agreement was announced on Thursday, of which was signed by a group of automotive manufacturers and transportation authorities.
The Associated Press reports that the agreement was voluntary in nature, with 20 of the biggest car manufacturers signing up; although the head honcho of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind, admitted that it could have been agreed sooner if the government made the initiative of creating mandatory rules.
In a nutshell, the technology involved in an automatic braking system utilizes several modern equipment, including but not limited to cameras, sensors, and radar, all for the purpose of advanced detection of objects that come in the way of the vehicle. They work hand-in-hand to either stop or slow the vehicle down if the driver fails to react in time.
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The said agreement, which reportedly was created out of the initiative from the NHTSA and the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety), provides that the automatic emergency braking or AEB standard will be applied on a target date, which is September 1, 2022. The NHTSA have made it clear for years that the automatic braking system is the ultimate safety standard in driving. However, the progress in building the technology to be used hasn't been that quick, although several manufacturers of luxury and made-to-order vehicles reportedly have been using the technology for more than a decade already.
But just like any other initiative, this one also has its fair of skeptics. Several safety groups were quick to respond by filing a petition that contains a request to the government to issue mandatory regulations since voluntary agreements have no teeth and cannot be enforced by law.
