The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing standard-issue automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems for most new vehicles sold in the United States. If approved, the measure would take effect within three years of being finalized. It would require automakers to include the system on new light trucks and passenger cars weighing less than 10,000 pounds.
The proposal was announced on May 31 as part of NHTSA's National Roadway Safety Strategy, launched in early 2022 to examine the increase in traffic deaths. The agency estimates that a minimum of 340 lives could be saved each year if the proposal is approved, with injury accidents reduced by 24,000. NHTSA also states there would be a marked decrease in property damage as a result of mandatory AEB systems.
