NHTSA proposes automatic emergency braking standards for heavy vehicles

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, NPRM, that would require heavy vehicles to have automatic emergency braking or AEB systems that will mitigate the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes. “Advanced driver assistance systems like AEB have the power to save lives,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson. “Today’s announcement is an important step forward in improving safety on our nation’s roadways by reducing, and ultimately eliminating, preventable tragedies that harm Americans.” An AEB system uses multiple sensor technologies that work together to detect a vehicle in a crash imminent situation. The system automatically applies the brakes if the driver has not done so, or, if needed, applies more braking force to supplement the driver’s braking…”Establishing AEB standards is a key component of the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “This technology can enhance the effectiveness of commercial motor vehicle crash reduction strategies and reduce roadway fatalities.” Publicly traded companies in the space include ArcBest (ARCB), J.B. Hunt (JBHT), Knight-Swift (KNX), Old Dominion (ODFL), Swift Transportation (SWFT) and Werner (WERN).