US Transportation Department Recommends Automatic Braking For NCAP
Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would add two forms of automatic emergency braking as recommended systems for its New Car Assessment Program.
The Detroit News reports crash imminent braking and dynamic brake support will be included as safety feature recommendations for the program’s five-star rating system, though automakers won’t be mandated to have them on all of their new models. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx encouraged them to consider doing so, however:
Today marks an enormous leap in the evolution of auto safety by encouraging adoption of new technologies to keep drivers and their passengers safe on our roads. Making it very clear that the technology will be one of the criteria on which auto manufacturers are graded is a pretty big step. They all want to be a five-star company.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had considered making automatic braking mandatory, setting a deadline of the end of 2013 to decide whether to press forward or to include it in the program. Administrator Mark Rosekind says the agency is still looking over the subject, while Foxx added that he wouldn’t put the idea completely on the shelf down the road.
The new recommendations will come into force 60 days after the public has had a chance to comment, followed by responses from the NHTSA. The 16-page proposal details the testing parameters automakers would need to pass before being listed as having automatic braking.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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Yay, more crap that will keep me driving older cars for as long as they are available. Predicting an enterprising guy will start a business removing all the nannyisms. He'll start with a giant centrifuge to remove ethanol from fuel. Engine for centrifuge will be powered by removed ethanol.
Remember the Range Rover driver in New York who ran over the motorcycle driver who break checked him? Automatic emergency breaking will put you at the mercy of anyone who cuts in front of you.
Yep, the technology is already here, in the form of adaptive cruise control and traction control (the kind that brakes individual wheels). Aaaaand speaking of adaptive cruise control, it is REALLY F'ING IRRITATING when someone has this and they're obviously paying only half-attention to their highway driving: -they pass you (fine) -up ahead they get stuck behind some (other) dimwit with crappy lane discipline -they change to a slow lane to get around the fast lane dimwit -then continuing in that lane they move along (fine) until catching up to slower traffic (fine -but then they just linger behind that slow traffic long (fine, except for what follows) long enough for you, using regular cruise control, to gradually catch up and eventually drive past -then they wake up, move over, speed up (adaptive cruise control radar sees a clear lane now), catch up to you -you move over (because the law and common courtesy says to do that) -but they're going juuuuust barely faster than you so that they are next to you when you come up behind slower traffic in the right lane (usually a tractor-semitrailer) and are right next to you when it's the last moment for you to change lanes or turn off your cruise control Long distance drivers, among the TTAC B&B, will know EXACTLY what I am talking about.
You want the features, then buy it with your own money. Getting really tired of mandated anything from the government.... Especially when it comes with a dose of "we know what's best for you". Same with the rear camera mandate. Enough.