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 Automatic Emergency Braking

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Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is a technology that mitigates or prevents a crash by applying the brakes if a driver does not respond to alerts of an imminent collision or supplements a driver’s braking if it is deemed insufficient. The technology has existed for more than a decade in class 7 and 8 trucks (26,001-lbs and more) and has since undergone a significant “maturation” to have an even greater potential than past generations of AEB to improve safety.

UPDATE!

Automatic Emergency Braking will be required in all new class 7 & 8 truck-tractors and motor carriers will be required to use AEB in all commercial motor vehicles that are equipped with it.

Automatic Emergency Braking Prevents and Mitigates Truck Crashes Caused by Distraction, Drowsiness, and Impairment

Facts on Automatic Emergency Braking:

Several studies have shown the benefits of using AEB in class 7 & 8 trucks:

  • 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.[1]

  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) estimated that large-truck AEB could prevent up to 11,499 crashes, 7,703 injury crashes, and 173 fatal crashes each year.[2]

  • Heavy vehicles with AEB were involved in 20.7 percent fewer front-to-rear crashes compared to heavy vehicles without AEB.[3]

Trucking companies have reported significant reductions in the number of rear-end collisions there trucks were involved in, ranging from 69 to 71 percent.[4]

A 2018 study conducted by NHTSA found that the cost of AEB systems could be as low as $70.80-$316.18 for the end-user (i.e. the motor carrier).[5] 

Estimated take rates (percentage equipped) of AEB on new class 8 trucks went from 1 percent in 2009 to 50 percent in 2017.[6]   

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analyzed data on crashes per vehicle miles traveled from 62 carriers operating class 8 trucks (weighing at least 33,000 pounds) on limited access-highways during 2017-2019, and found:

  • Trucks with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) had 12 percent fewer crashes than trucks without either AEB or Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and experienced a 41 percent reduction in rear-end crashes.

  • Trucks equipped with FCW or AEB that were involved in rear-end crashes had their speeds reduced by half between a trigger and time of impact.

A 2018 national survey by McLaughlin and Associates shows most Americans support Congress requiring automatic emergency braking on large trucks:

  • 82% support

  • 9% oppose.

[1] Jermakian, J. S. “Crash Avoidance Potential of Four Large Truck Technologies.” Accident Analysis and Prevention 49: 338-346, 2012.

[2] Glassbrenner, D., Morgan, A., Kreeb, R., Svenson, A., Liddell, H., Barickman, F. “A Target, Population for Automatic Emergency Braking in Heavy Vehicles.” Report No. DOT HS 812 390. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2017.

[3] Hickman, J. S., Guo, F., Camden, M. C., Medina, A., Hanowski, R. J., Mabry, E. “Onboard Safety System Effectiveness Evaluation Final Report.” Report No. FMCSA-RRT-12-012. Washington, D.C.: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2013.

[4] Dr. Christopher B. Lofgren, Chief Executive Officer, Schneider National at Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security Hearing on February 15, 2017, Moving America: Stakeholder Perspectives on our Multimodal Transportation System. https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=059064F8-8D58-4725-98BC-61CC53DBCB08, and National Transportation Safety Board. 2015. The Use of Forward Collision Avoidance Systems to Prevent and Mitigate Rear-End Crashes. Special Investigation Report NTSB/SIR-15-01. Washington, DC.

[5] NHTSA. September 2018. Cost and Weight Analysis of Heavy Vehicle Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Systems for Heavy Trucks. Final Report. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NHTSA-2011-0066-0092

[6] Kevin Grove, Matthew Camden, Andrew Krum, and Richard Hanowski. “Research and Testing to Accelerate Voluntary Adoption of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) on Commercial Vehicles.” Report No. FMCSA-RRT-18-013. Washington, D.C.: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2020.