Jeffrey Nadrich, founding attorney and owner of the California law firm Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, supports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandating that all new cars and trucks in the United States carry automatic brakes.
“This mandate will prevent accidents, reduce injuries and save lives,” Nadrich said.
Beginning in September 2029, all new cars and trucks in the U.S. will need to be sold including automatic emergency braking systems which feature sensors that apply brakes in order to avoid collisions.
NHTSA stated that emergency braking reduces pedestrian and vehicle crashes, and that the new standard, FMVSS No. 127, will prevent a minimum of 24,000 injuries every year and save a minimum of 360 lives per year.
Under the new mandate, every “light vehicle,” including cars, SUVs and large pickup trucks, will need to have the capability of automatically applying brakes to avoid collisions at a speed of as much as 62 miles per hour. The applicable vehicles will also need to be able to start to apply brakes when collisions are imminent at speeds as high as 90 miles per hour, and will need to be able to detect pedestrians.
“This mandate is necessary because traffic deaths have been steadily increasing in the past decade,” Nadrich said.
Around 90 percent of brand new vehicles sold today already have automatic emergency braking systems installed.
Officials have said that the mandate will increase the costs of vehicles by about $82 per vehicle. Research has shown that automatic braking systems reduce rear-end accidents by around 50 percent.
“Forcing new vehicles to feature this proven technology will make America’s roads safer,” Nadrich said.
NHTSA has estimated that 40,900 Americans died in traffic accidents in 2023, with 4,013 of those fatalities occurring in California. According to NHTSA data, 2021 saw 1,770,328 rear-end accidents occur in the United States, with 2,949 of them being fatal and 475,774 of them involving injuries. These rear-end accidents accounted for 29 percent of all accidents, 27.5 percent of accidents involving injuries and 7.5 percent of fatal accidents.
“Rear-end accidents are the most common type of accidents and this mandate will significantly reduce the number of rear-end accidents,” Nadrich said.
Applicable vehicles will also need to be able to brake at speeds as high as 45 miles per hour when pedestrians are detected.
Over 7,500 pedestrians were killed by vehicles in 2022, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. This was the highest number of pedestrians killed since 1981, and total deaths approximately doubled in the last decade.
“This mandate will protect our nation’s pedestrians,” Nadrich said.
The new regulation fulfills an important mandate of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by establishing vital performance criteria for passenger vehicles. The measure bolsters and aligns with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which is intended to combat the rise in traffic-related injuries and deaths throughout America. The strategy includes safeguards like enhancement of vehicle safety features, improvement in road design, proper speed management, more responsible users of the road, and enhancement of post-accident response.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers support those injured in traffic accidents, helping them recover financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and more. The firm has resources available on their website for those injured in traffic accidents.
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For more information about Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers, contact the company here:
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
Jennifer Poole
(800) 718-4658
jpoole@personalinjurylawcal.com
10990 Wilshire Blvd # 1050, Los Angeles, CA 90024
