Many automakers have reportedly joined a voluntary initiative to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature in the US by 2022.
The group is said to include 20 companies including the biggest players such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors and Toyota, unnamed sources have told The Detroit News.
The pending announcement appears to represent the next step in a voluntary program announced last September. The list originally included just 10 automakers, with no time-frame for the delivering on the promise.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that AEB tech can reduce insurance injury claims by up to 35 percent. In a separate study, the National Transportation Safety Board claimed rear-end collisions are responsible for 1.7 million accidents and 1,700 fatalities in the US each year.
“We are entering a new era of vehicle safety, focused on preventing crashes from ever occurring, rather than just protecting occupants when crashes happen,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said last year. “But if technologies such as automatic emergency braking are only available as options or on the most expensive models, too few Americans will see the benefits of this new era.”
The 2022 commitment is expected to be formally announced Thursday morning.
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