In late December I wrote about autobrake becoming universal in the U.S. Now, a regulation proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will help ensure that important improvements in automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology, including systems to protect pedestrians, spread through the vehicle fleet as quickly as possible.

NHTSA unveiled a proposal on May 31 to require that all new passenger vehicles have AEB capable of braking to fully avoid a crash with another vehicle at up to 50 mph. Vehicles must also be able to stop for pedestrians from speeds up to 37 mph, and the pedestrian detection must work in dark conditions. As deaths of pedestrians have risen sharply in recent years, the provision requiring pedestrian detection that works both at night and during the day is especially important, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In March 2022, the IIHS and the Highway Loss Data Institute petitioned federal regulators to require manufacturers to equip all new passenger vehicles with AEB systems capable of detecting and avoiding pedestrians in the dark as well as in daylight.

IIHS and NHTSA worked together to broker a 2016 commitment by 20 manufacturers to equip virtually all their light-duty cars and trucks with AEB that prevents front-into-rear collisions with other vehicles by the production year that began on Sept. 1, 2022. Now, nearly every new vehicle sold includes AEB as standard equipment.

Since the commitment was forged, the technology has gradually improved from being able to detect other vehicles to recognizing and stopping for pedestrians as well. Many AEB systems also can detect and prevent collisions with cyclists.

IIHS began evaluating vehicle-to-vehicle AEB systems in 2013. A pedestrian AEB test was added in 2019, followed by a nighttime test in 2022. This year, the nighttime pedestrian test was included in the requirements automakers must meet to earn the highest IIHS safety accolade, Top Safety Pick.

“Pedestrian AEB that works well at night is a game changer for protecting the most vulnerable people on the road,” said IIHS-HLDI President David Harkey. “This proven technology takes action when a driver doesn’t and can reduce the severity of a collision or prevent the collision from happening altogether.

“Automakers worked hard to make AEB standard equipment on virtually all new vehicles in response to the 2016 commitment,” said Harkey. “Now they’re quickly responding to the IIHS pedestrian test requirement as well.

“Still, we can’t depend entirely on technology. With people keeping their cars longer, it will be several decades before at least 90% of vehicles on the road are equipped with pedestrian AEB.”

At least we are headed in the right direction.