New automatic emergency braking safety standard will save lives, expert explains
A new federal safety standard adopted this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require new cars to have automatic emergency braking systems that will bring them to a complete stop even at high speeds in order to avoid crashes. Auto manufactures will have until 2029 to comply with this standard.
Zachary Doerzaph, executive director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, says that “the highway safety administration is estimating the technology will save at least 360 lives per year and prevent more than 24,000 injuries. However, we foresee the potential to realize substantially higher safety gains as manufactures broaden the applications of the technology.”
Doerzaph answers the following questions about the research into automatic emergency braking (AEB) that supports this new standard and the reasons why it will save lives.
Q: What research has VTTI done pertaining to this new safety standard?
“When it comes to automatic braking as a component of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) applications, VTTI has a sizeable body of research spanning numerous partnerships dating back decades. Our work has focused primarily on:
• Investigating the causes of vehicle crashes to identify the opportunity for driver assistances systems to support safe driving.
• Modeling of ADAS and AEB to estimate effectiveness.
• Prototype research and development to improve the underlying technology.
• Associated policy and standards review and recommendations.
• Evaluation of how the systems perform in the field.”
Q: What will be the benefits of the adoption of this new standard?
“Ultimately, this rule will save lives on our roadways. Automatic emergency braking is among the first examples of how automation can work in tandem with human drivers to improve safety. In the seconds prior to a crash, the system applies brakes at the full capabilities of the vehicle to avoid a collision. Such systems help support drivers by:
• Perceiving and braking to avoid obstacles the driver may not see.
• Applying vehicle brakes at the full capabilities of the vehicle to avoid a crash (something drivers often fall short of accomplishing).”
Q: How will this new standard be implemented?
“The new rule will modify the Federal Motor Safety Standard to formalize the industry’s efforts to propagate automatic emergency braking that avoids crashes, and avoids striking pedestrians, across the entire light vehicle fleet. It helps to ensure consistent performance, particularly at higher speeds where more severe injuries occur, and imparts a timeline on the rollout of the technology. The rule will accelerate the timeline to place this life saving collision avoidance system in light vehicles across the nation.”
Q: Does the technology already exist that allows automatic braking systems to stop at speeds higher than 60 mph and avoid collections?
“Thanks to the hard work of VTTI, our partners, and the industry at large, the technology does exist and is improving. The present challenge was bringing the cost of these technologies to a level wherein they are integrated on all vehicles. This rule forces the economy of scale, driving the cost down and making the technologies accessible across the light vehicle lineup. In addition, the technology necessary to enable AEB will also help accelerate the deployment of additional driver assistance applications, enabling even greater gains in safety.”
Q: What other challenges remain?
“Though we have not researched a maximum speed for AEB, it is feasible for the technology to achieve its intended purpose at roadway design speeds. Yet much like human vision, the system is limited by visibility. It is not able to see around hills, curves, or other obstacles. Thus, if a driver is moving too quickly for the roadway conditions, the effectives of AEB is reduced. It is imperative that we continue working to reduce the prevalence of speed, which remains a significant challenge on our roadways.”
About Doerzaph
Zachary Doerzaph is the executive director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, a global leader in transportation research, and president of VTT, LLC, a university-affiliated non-profit company. In these roles, Doerzaph cultivates the institute’s strategic vision, talent, research infrastructure, and partnerships with the aim of creating a positive global impact on transportation. Doerzaph also serves as a faculty member within the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. Read his bio here.
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