The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act of 2024 (H.R.10347) represents a crucial step forward in protecting vulnerable road users through mandatory advanced braking technology. This legislation requires auto manufacturers to implement automatic emergency braking systems (AEB) that can detect cyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users across all conditions.
Key Details of the Bill
Timeline
Within three years after this bill becomes law, the Department of Transportation must create rules for installing AEB systems in new vehicles.
Vehicle manufacturers will have two model years to comply after these rules are finalized.
What AEB Systems Must Do
Work effectively at speeds set in the 2024 NHTSA "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards".
Detect vunerable road users.
Recognize the entire range of colors and complexions presented by skin, clothing, and protective gear.
Who and What It Covers
Vehicles: Includes passenger cars, trucks, buses, SUVs, light commercial vehicles (like pickup trucks and minivans), any vehicle under 10,000 pounds.
Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorcyclists, People using scooters, skateboards, or wheelchairs, People with disabilities, Road workers, People operating farming equipment, Anyone not protected by a vehicle's hard shell.
Micromobility Users: People using bikes, e-scooters, e-bikes, skateboards, and similar small, low-speed vehicles.
In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) missed a critical opportunity to protect all vulnerable road users. When it issued a new rule requiring all new cars and light trucks to include automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology by 2029, the agency failed to mandate systems that detect bicyclists. Instead, the rule only requires AEB systems to prevent collisions with vehicles or pedestrians directly in front of the car.
This decision came despite overwhelming public support and clear evidence that AEB systems designed to recognize all vulnerable road users—such as bicyclists, motorcyclists, road workers, and people using mobility devices—could save lives. The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act addresses this significant oversight by prioritizing technologies that better protect everyone on the road.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), such systems, tailored to respond to the three most common deadly crash scenarios, could reduce up to 26% of crashes between drivers and cyclists and prevent 52% of fatal collisions.