A proposed federal rule would require many new heavy vehicles above 10,000 pounds to have forward collision avoidance systems.
The rule, introduced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, would require forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and electronic stability control systems.
This proposed rule would also ensure that these systems are inspected, maintained and functional.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy applauded the proposed rule.
“Decades of NTSB investigations have made clear that collision avoidance systems on heavy vehicles will save lives and are a critical piece of the Safe System approach to road safety,” Homendy said. “Stability control systems are an important component for these collision avoidance systems and also help prevent loss of control and rollovers. We applaud NHTSA and FMCSA on taking this important step to prioritize the safety of heavy vehicles and stop the public health crisis on our roads.”
The NTSB first recommended collision avoidance technology to help prevent crashes in 1995 and has included the technology on its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements since 2021.
The NTSB stated that it will continue to evaluate the rule and plans to submit comments on the proposed rulemaking.
