New US Vehicles Must Have Automatic Emergency Braking by 2029

NHTSA projects that the new standard will save at least 360 lives annually while preventing a minimum of 24,000 injuries every year.
New US Vehicles Must Have Automatic Emergency Braking by 2029
Tesla cars are parked in front of a Tesla showroom and service center in Burlingame, Calif., on May 20, 2019. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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All new cars sold in the United States by 2029 should have an automatic braking system that will be triggered when a collision becomes a possibility, according to new regulations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

On Monday, the NHTSA finalized a new standard requiring all passenger cars and light trucks to have automatic emergency braking (AEB), including pedestrian AEB, by September 2029. “AEB systems use sensors to detect when a vehicle is close to crashing into a vehicle or pedestrian in front and automatically applies the brakes if the driver has not,” according to the press release. “Pedestrian AEB technology will detect a pedestrian in both daylight and in darker conditions at night. This will significantly reduce injury or property damage and associated costs from these crashes.”