Automakers Making Progress on Braking Technology Deadline
The participating automakers voluntarily committed by Sept. 1, 2022, to equip virtually all new light-duty cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less with a low-speed AEB system that includes forward collision warning and crash imminent braking, to help prevent and mitigate front-to-rear crashes.
Ten automakers have reported the equipped more than half of the vehicles they produced between Sept. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2018, with automatic emergency braking, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced March 13 in the second update of manufacturers' progress toward equipping every new passenger vehicle with this technology by Sept. 1, 2022. The 10 manufacturers include many high-volume automakers such as Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, with Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and Volvo reporting 93 percent or higher conformance with the voluntary commitment.
Based on reporting by the 20 manufacturers that made the commitment, about half of the vehicles produced during the period were equipped with AEB. Toyota is in the lead, having equipped 2.2 million (90 percent) of its 2.5 million vehicles with AEB. Nissan has the second-highest number produced with AEB, 1.1 million (78 percent) of 1.4 million vehicles, and Honda is third with 980,000 (61 percent) of 1.6 million vehicles produced with the technology.
The participating automakers voluntarily committed to equip virtually all new light-duty cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less with a low-speed AEB system that includes forward collision warning and crash imminent braking, to help prevent and mitigate front-to-rear crashes. The manufacturers submit yearly progress reports.
"Technologies like automatic emergency braking can help make cars safer on the roads, which means Americans are safer when traveling," said NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi R. King. "This update on the status of the voluntary AEB commitment demonstrates how collaborative approaches to advance safety technology can be an effective way to advance our shared safety goals. Working together, we can reduce crashes and prevent injuries."
IIHS estimates the commitment will prevent 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries by 2025. "Getting AEB on the road as soon as possible was the main aim of the commitment, and this latest report shows that a significant proportion of vehicles left the factory with AEB on board," said David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer of IIHS.
The participating automakers are Audi, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Together, they represent more than 99 percent of the U.S. automobile market.