FMCSA, NHTSA Issue Proposal Requiring Automatic Emergency Braking Tech on CMVs
The FMCSA and NHTSA intend to issue a joint proposal requiring automatic emergency braking technology on heavy-duty commercial vehicles as part of the 2021 infrastructure law.
The two agencies plan to publish the notice of proposed rulemaking in March of this year, according to the federal regulatory agenda. The 2021 infrastructure law called for CMVs to be equipped with the braking safety technology within two years.
“The rulemaking is expected to propose performance standards and motor carrier maintenance requirements for AEB systems on heavy trucks and accompanying test procedures for measuring the performance of the AEB systems in NHTSA compliance testing,” according to the regulatory agenda.
FMCSA and NHTSA to Seek Comments
FMCSA and NHTSA will seek comments on a proposal to require or standardize equipment performance for AEB systems on heavy-duty vehicles.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has previously come out against any AEB mandate. OOIDA said the technology needs to be perfected before it is required. American Trucking Associations, in 2015, called on truck manufacturers to make AEB standard on commercial vehicles and offered initial support for potential regulation.
AEB Tech Cuts Crash Frequency in Half
The NHTSA found that vehicles equipped with AEB and forward-collision warning technologies cut crash frequency in half in a 2022 study.
Many new CMVs already have AEB technology, which is now standard on new passenger vehicles. During the Obama administration, the U.S.’s top 20 automakers agreed, before federal regulators could make it compulsory, to make AEB standard by 2022.
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