Automatic Emergency Braking To Be Standard In US Vehicles By 2022

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has stated that 20 automakers have voluntarily committed to making automatic emergency braking standard in nearly all U.S. vehicles by 2022.

The NHTSA hailed the agreement which sees major carmakers like Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes, and Volkswagen agree to make the safety measure standard across all vehicles weighing under 8500 pounds (3.85 tons) beginning no later than Sept. 1, 2022.

Reuters reports that the automated emergency braking system will be in place for heavier vehicles by September 1, 2025.

Automatic emergency braking will help bring down the number of deaths and injuries caused by rear end collisions which killed 1,705 people and injured 547,000 in the United States.

However, there are still some critics who want the agreement that is is currently not legally enforceable to be made a legal requirement for vehicles by the NHTSA.