Automatic Emergency Braking

What is Automatic Emergency Braking?

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is an advanced safety system that uses sensors to detect potential collisions and automatically applies the brakes to either avoid or reduce the severity of a crash.

Facts on Automatic Emergency Braking

  • AEB could prevent 31–37 percent of heavy vehicle front-to-rear crashes, resulting in 26,000–31,000 fewer crashes, 2,000–3,000 fewer injuries, and 98–115 fewer fatalities.

  • Trucking companies have reported significant reductions in the number of rear-end collisions their trucks were involved in, ranging from 69 to 71 percent.

  • A 2018 study conducted by NHTSA found that the cost of AEB systems could be as low as $70.80-$316.18 per truck for a motor carrier.

Status of Automatic Emergency Braking

Automatic Emergency Braking was required in some large trucks as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Following enactment of IIJA, the Department of Transportation proposed a rule to require all Class 7 and 8 vehicles – those weighing more than 26,000 pounds – to be equipped with AEB technology three years after the rule takes effect. All Class 3 to 6 vehicles – those weighing 10,001 to 26,000 pounds – would be required to meet the AEB and electronic stability control requirements in four years. Small-volume manufacturers would have until five years after the final rule took effect. There would not be any retrofit requirements on existing heavy vehicles.