Carmakers File Challenge to Parts of New Automatic-Braking Rule
Industry says using the technology at higher speeds is impractical and too costly; regulators say the move would reduce accidents
A trade group representing carmakers is pushing back on a rule that requires automated emergency-braking systems in future vehicles, arguing the requirements are nearly impossible to meet and would be too costly.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the largest automakers, on Monday petitioned the auto industry’s top safety regulator to reconsider certain parts of the final rule, but it didn’t object to an overall requirement that new vehicles come equipped with the automatic-braking feature.
The move by automakers marks the latest clash between the industry and safety regulators, who have tried to impose stricter standards and take advantage of new technologies to reduce traffic deaths after a rise in recent years.
Automatic-braking systems use sensors, cameras and software to detect potential crashes with other vehicles and pedestrians, automatically applying the brakes if the driver fails to do so.
Carmakers voluntarily agreed in 2016 to increase offerings of the braking systems by 2025, but government officials have pushed for higher standards for the technology given inconsistencies between different systems. About 90% of new light vehicles made in 2022 were built with the technology, according to regulators.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration completed the rule in late April, requiring all vehicles sold in 2029 to come with the auto-braking technology. It mandates certain standards for the systems, such as being able to stop and avoid contact with another vehicle traveling at as much as 62 miles an hour and being able to detect pedestrians in darkness.
The new regulations also would require cars be able to apply the brakes automatically at as much as 90 mph when a vehicle collision is imminent, and at as much as 45 mph before a possible collision with a pedestrian.
NHTSA has said the requirement would slash rear-end accidents and pedestrian crashes, saving at least 360 lives a year and preventing at least 24,000 injuries.
John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, said in a letter to Congress on Monday that the rule would require systems to work at higher speeds than are practical with current technology. He also said NHTSA’s requirements would cause vehicles to apply brakes well before what other drivers expect, leading to more rear-end collisions.
NHTSA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bozzella added that regulators had underestimated the costly changes needed to comply with the new rule, which would lead to higher car prices for consumers.
“Yes, this rule will make vehicles more expensive, but the real issue isn’t cost—it’s cost/benefit,” he said. NHTSA’s rule, he added, “will require more costly systems that won’t improve driver or pedestrian safety.”
The technology has caused issues for some consumers in the past. Regulators in recent years have investigated incidents in which the technology activates for no apparent reason, at times leading to crashes.
Regulators have pushed for increased use of automatic braking as they crack down on full self-driving technologies. NHTSA is investigating Tesla’s automatic-driving features, which were linked to a spate of injuries and fatalities.