[Hatman]

One Step Closer To Autonomous Cars: 10 Automakers To Make Automatic Emergency Braking Standard

10 automotive manufacturers announced today that they will make automatic emergency braking (AEB) a standard feature across their vehicle lineup, expanding the use of this safety feature.

The 10 companies – Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo — were lauded by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at the dedication of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s (IIHS) newly expanded Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, VA where he made this announcement.

“We are entering a new era of vehicle safety, focused on preventing crashes from ever occurring, rather than just protecting occupants when crashes happen,” said Secretary Foxx in a news statement. “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. These 10 companies are committing to making AEB available to all new-car buyers.”

AEB, also known as forward collision avoidance, uses a combination of radars, cameras, lasers, and sensors (depending on the manufacturer) to track the distance of a vehicle traveling ahead of it. If the system detects that the driver is not applying the brakes hard enough–or at all–to avoid an imminent crash, it will automatically engage the brakes to attempt to avoid a collision or mitigate its severity.

This technology has been shown to reduce insurance injury claims by as much as 35 percent, according to an IIHS study. The 10 manufacturers that committed to this change represented 57% of vehicle sales in 2014. Equipping a large majority of new vehicles with this standard feature, will create safer roads for everyone. It also raises the bar for other car makers to match this standard feature — all without government regulations — and helps prime the market for autonomous vehicles.

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