Stellantis, Mercedes, and Honda Challenge NHTSA’s New AEB Regulations

US regulators are mandating AEB at speeds up to 62 mph. Automakers like Stellantis, Mercedes, and Honda argue the rules are costly and may not enhance safety, prompting industry pushback.

Driver safety technology is silently but significantly saving lives every day. However, some of this technology can also cause unexpected issues. Currently, US regulators are pushing automakers to enable automatic emergency braking (AEB) at speeds up to 62 mph, which has not been well-received by brands like Stellantis, Mercedes, and Honda.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), a lobbying group that dates back to the 1960s and includes members such as Stellantis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes, GM, Ford, Ferrari, Isuzu, Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, McLaren, Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, and Volvo, has filed a petition against parts of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new AEB rules, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In 2016, several automakers voluntarily agreed to add AEB to most of their models, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) aiming to make its AEB testing protocol more stringent. The new rules require AEB systems to automatically apply braking at speeds up to 90 mph and effectively avoid collisions at speeds up to 62 mph. «The new vehicle safety standards we finalized today will save hundreds of lives and prevent tens of thousands of injuries every year,» said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the time the rules were passed.

However, automakers argue that the new rules are too costly and not sufficiently effective, claiming that the additional costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers. John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, stated, «Yes, this rule will make vehicles more expensive, but the real issue isn’t cost—it’s cost/benefit... [it] will require more costly systems that won’t improve driver or pedestrian safety.»

Data suggests that while modern driver aids can have significant design flaws that may endanger drivers, there is no doubt that AEB and other driver-assistance technologies have saved lives.