The Problem
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) mission is to “save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes through education, research, safety standards, and enforcement.” However, in 2022, the NHTSA failed to include bicyclist-sensitive technology when it issued a new rule requiring all new cars and light trucks to include AEB technology starting in 2029. Instead, NHTSA only requires that new AEB systems stop and avoid contact with a vehicle or person in front of them. The NHTSA did this despite strong public support and unmistakable evidence that bicyclist-AEB will protect a significant portion of bicyclists.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), bicyclist-AEB systems designed to respond to the three most common deadly crash scenarios could help mitigate or prevent up to 26 percent of crashes between people on bikes and drivers and 52 percent of fatal crashes.
The Solution
Pass a federal law requiring AEB systems to be installed on all new cars and light trucks to detect and react to an imminent crash with bicyclists or motorcyclists in all lighting conditions at all speeds. Additionally, the AEB systems must detect and react to individuals with a range of skin colors representing very dark to very light complexions.