Automatic emergency braking required in US cars in NTHSA proposal

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a rule that would require automatic emergency braking systems on “nearly all” U.S. cars and light trucks, officials said Wednesday. 

The proposal could save at least 360 lives a year and reduce injuries by at least 24,000 people annually, NHTSA said in a news release. 

If adopted, vehicles will be required to have AEB technology three years after the “publication of a final rule.” 

“These AEB systems would result in significant reductions in property damage caused by rear-end crashes,” the NHTSA said in the release. “Many crashes would be avoided altogether, while others would be less destructive.”