Advanced driving features are surging ahead, but there is a disturbing disconnect between the makers of the technology and those who are regulating it.
A new standard from the government was supposed to put everyone on an even playing field and keep drivers safe, but the industry now says that standard is impractical and could create new dangers.
The cars of the future were supposed to keep people safer than ever by doing things like applying the brakes to stop the car before it hits something or someone.
Automatic emergency braking, or AEB, systems commonly come standard in most new cars. What is not currently standard is under which circumstances they are supposed to work.
One documented weakness is darkness.
To shore up performance inconsistencies and potentially save hundreds of lives a year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a rule that would require AEBs by 2029 that can pass a series of required tests, including detecting pedestrians in daylight and darkness and stopping a vehicle at 62 mph to avoid a car in front of it.
But now, industry representatives say that proposal flies in the face of years of collaborative work between carmakers, technology leaders and federal regulators by imposing standards it calls “impractical.”
John Bozzella is president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the largest trade association in the automotive sector, representing nearly the entire automotive industry, including GM, Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota and Volkswagen.
“This rule that NHTSA has written has no relationship with the 10 years of engagement and investment and process that we’ve had with the agency,” Bozzella said. “I worry that the testing requirements in this rule are not fully feasible at this stage.”
Bozzella has concerns about the speeds at which the technology must perform.
“This rule requires vehicles to stop at high speeds. I’m talking highway speeds, 62 miles an hour, complete stop, zero contact,” Bozzella said. “What’s gonna happen? My concern is that we are gonna trade avoidance of front-end collisions for an increase in rear-end collisions.”
In a letter to NHTSA, the alliance petitioned the agency to reconsider its rule, asking it to reduce the speed at which the brakes must perform, allow drivers to deactivate the systems under certain conditions, and revise its evaluation of the costs.
Meanwhile, AEB systems are widely in use on the road, and many consumers are being left in the dark, as flashy ads tout seemingly flawless technology that the very carmakers assert isn’t ready to meet government standards.
Bozzella said his organization is working with NHTSA on an education campaign to ensure consumer trust and understanding.
We asked NHTSA for comment about the petition and risks to drivers if a technology requirement is mandated before it’s ready. The administration said it does not comment on pending petitions.
NHTSA has until Oct. 22 to respond.
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