Inside the brewing fight over pedestrian safety

• U.S. drivers struck and killed more than 35,000 people in the last five years, finds a Governors Highway Safety Association report out today. Most such fatalities occurred at night and involved large trucks or SUVs.
• Pedestrian deaths fell 5% last year — a glimmer of hope — but remain 14% above 2019's pre-pandemic level, per the report.
• Pedestrian deaths rose a staggering 77% between 2010 and 2022, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, while all other traffic fatalities increased just 22%.

State of play: Most new cars have automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, which use cameras and radar to detect an imminent crash and apply the brakes if the driver fails to do so.

• While the technology has significant safety benefits, studies have shown that it's ineffective in avoiding pedestrian crashes at night or at high speeds.
• Congress in 2021 directed NHTSA to make AEB technology standard on all passenger vehicles and to establish minimum performance standards, including pedestrian protection.

The new rule, issued in April, gives automakers until 2029 to upgrade their systems to operate at higher speeds and better avoid pedestrians.

• Cars must be able to avoid hitting a vehicle in front of them at speeds of up to 62 mph, and must detect pedestrians in both daylight and darkness.
• They must also apply the brakes automatically at up to 90 mph when a collision is imminent (mitigating a high-speed crash, at least) and up to 45 mph when a pedestrian is detected.

The latest: A group representing major automakers filed a petition this week asking NHTSA to reconsider the rule, saying the new standards are "practically impossible with available technology."

• The Alliance for Automotive Innovation also sent a letter to Congress explaining its concerns.

What they're saying: It's not that automakers are opposed to AEB technology, Alliance CEO John Bozzella told Congress.

• Back in 2016, automakers voluntarily agreed to deploy AEB systems on all new vehicles by 2025 — and they're on track to do so, having invested more than $1 billion, he wrote.

Yes, but: The new requirements are infeasible with today's braking technology, he argued, and the necessary hardware and software changes would make cars more expensive.

• Bozzella also said the rule could even result in more rear-end collisions, because vehicles would automatically apply the brakes "far in advance of what a typical driver and others on the road would expect."

Between the lines: "Here's what I (regrettably) conclude will happen: driving AEB-equipped vehicles in the U.S. under NHTSA's new standard will become unpredictable, erratic and will frustrate or flummox drivers."

• The Alliance said NHTSA should adopt a European standard that detects potential forward collisions, provides driver warnings and automatically engages the brakes.

The other side: "If any changes should be made to the rule, it should be to add detection of bicyclists, motorcycle riders and other vulnerable road users whose fatalities numbers continue to escalate," said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

• "Unfortunately, the auto industry consistently uses added costs when it fights requirements for safety systems as standard equipment, like it did for rearview cameras and is now proffering for safer braking systems."

The bottom line: Automatic emergency braking systems can be effective, but other solutions — better road designs, more sidewalks, slower speeds and better lighting — can also help address the pedestrian safety crisis.

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