US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years and set performance standards

By TOM KRISHER
AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Automatic emergency braking will have to come standard on all U.S. new passenger vehicles in five years. It’s a requirement that the government says will save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled the new regulation on Monday and called it the most significant safety rule in the past two decades. It’s designed to prevent many rear-end and pedestrian collisions and reduce the roughly 40,000 traffic deaths per year. Although about 90% of new vehicles have the systems standard now under a voluntary agreement with automakers, at present there are no performance requirements. The new regulations set standards for vehicles to automatically stop and avoid hitting other vehicles or pedestrians, even at night.