Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Myths and Facts
MYTH: NHTSA’s new standard for AEB is impossible for automakers to implement using available technology.
Fact: Manufacturers are already meeting or well on their way to meeting the standard, which does not require compliance until 2029. Automakers have been given a generous five years (up from three originally required by NHTSA) to implement improved AEB, and vehicles on the market have been shown to comply with NHTSA’s stopping requirements. Automakers should make safety innovation their #1 priority, and invest resources to make what we know to be truly possible.
MYTH: More rear-end crashes will result when brakes engage automatically at increased distances and speeds.
Fact: Well designed AEB will not pose such issues. NHTSA estimates that new and improved standards for AEB will save at least 360 lives a year and prevent at least 24,000 injuries annually. Not braking at all in emergency situations will inevitably lead to more fatalities and injuries. Furthermore, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found has that these safety systems have the capability to reduce car front-to-rear crashes with injuries by 56%.
MYTH: Buying a car is already so expensive, and adding AEB will make cars pricier.
Fact: The industry has the money and resources to invest in better safety, which should be their #1 priority. But the industry has invested hundreds of billions of dollars to develop autonomous vehicles that have shown zero success in saving lives, while spending only 1 billion dollars to develop better automatic emergency braking. Additionally, vehicle prices have been increasing already, despite the fact that mandated improvements to AEB technology aren’t expected to be required in new vehicles until 2029. Unfortunately, new car prices will increase, but it’s inaccurate to suggest that the cause will be from better AEB tech.
Automatic Emergency Braking
When done right, automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology saves lives. It is one of the most significant breakthroughs in car safety technology in recent decades. Accordingly, the Center for Auto Safety has been fighting for this lifesaving technology to be made standard in all new vehicles since 2015. However, when automatic emergency braking goes wrong, it can be incredibly dangerous. Owners of 2017-19 Nissan Rogues, 2020-2021 Volkswagen Atlas/Atlas Cross Sports, Tesla Model 3s/Model Ys, Honda Accords and CR-Vs, and many more equipped with automatic emergency braking have been reporting unwanted stops. Therefore the Center advocates for AEB standards – so this potentially life-saving technology can work correctly and do the job it was meant to accomplish. The Center will continue to push for this technology to be made available to all American drivers, and for automakers to get it right.
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