The final rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandating automatic emergency braking systems on light vehicles has entered the review process at the White House Office of Management and Budget. The heavy-duty vehicle version is expected to follow suit shortly.
NHTSA submitted the final rule for light vehicles to the OMB on Jan. 18. Once the review is concluded, the final rule will be published in the Federal Register. As outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fall 2023 Unified Regulatory Agenda, the rule is anticipated to be published in April.
In June of the previous year, the agency issued a notice of proposed rulemaking, proposing the requirement of automatic emergency braking systems on new light vehicles. NHTSA estimates that such a mandate could potentially save a minimum of 360 lives annually and reduce injuries by at least 24,000. If the rule is adopted as proposed, nearly all new U.S. vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds will need to incorporate AEB technology three years after its Federal Register publication.
This proposal generated over 1,000 comments from various stakeholders.
For heavy vehicles, both NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a joint proposal last year. The proposal seeks to mandate AEB systems and electronic stability control systems on new vehicles exceeding 10,000 pounds.
The joint proposal outlines that Class 7 and 8 vehicles (those weighing over 26,000 pounds) would be required to meet AEB standards three years after the rule takes effect. Class 3 to 6 vehicles (weighing 10,001 to 26,000 pounds) would need to comply with AEB and electronic stability control requirements within four years. Small-volume manufacturers would have a grace period of five years after the final rule takes effect, and there would be no retrofit requirements for existing heavy vehicles.
The heavy vehicle final rule is also expected to be released in April, although it is yet to undergo review at the OMB.
Despite the regulatory momentum, opposition to the AEB proposal for trucks has surfaced. Lawmakers, including Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., raised concerns about the technology’s readiness during a House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing in December.
“I probably own about 80 trucks with the collision avoidance … I will tell you, they are not bulletproof,” Collins said. “They’re nowhere near it … We all want to be safe. That’s why I tried them. But they don’t work perfectly, and they’re very expensive. The technology is not there.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, representing small-business truckers, expressed reservations, citing drivers’ experiences of frequent false activations with AEB systems.
“The notice of proposed rulemaking mandates AEB systems without sufficiently addressing false activations, properly consulting with professional truck drivers or completing ongoing research programs,” OOIDA said.
Source: Land Line
