The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that by September 2029, almost all new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. must be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems.

What Happened: The NHTSA stated that the new rule will save at least 360 lives and prevent a minimum of 24,000 injuries annually, Reuters reported on Tuesday. This decision follows a rise in traffic deaths after the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Congress directed the NHTSA in the 2021 infrastructure law to establish minimum performance standards for these systems. The systems use sensors like cameras and radar to detect imminent collisions and automatically apply brakes if the driver fails to do so.

Manufacturers are required to ensure these systems can detect pedestrians in both daylight and at night. Some small-volume manufacturers will be granted until September 2030 to comply.

Why It Matters: The decision comes after several incidents involving braking systems. In March, the NHTSA initiated a probe into approximately 250,712 Honda Motor vehicles due to unintended activation of automatic emergency braking. The investigation was based on 46 complaints, including three crashes or fires and two injuries.

In July 2023, Tesla recalled over 17,000 vehicles due to issues with the forward-facing front camera, which could cause emergency braking, forward collision warnings, and lane assist to become unavailable without warning the driver.

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