EU and Japan to introduce automatic braking

Japan and the European Union have given their support to a UN proposal mandating automatic braking in all new light vehicles by 2020. 

The new regulation imposes strict and harmonised rules for automatic braking in passenger cars and LCVs at speeds of up to 60 km/h. 

AEB City
The proposed system, called Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS), is a collision avoidance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision. 

Typically, AEBS uses radar or laser systems to detect any danger of crashing, warns the driver if that is the case and autonomously takes action if the collision is imminent. 

It is also AEB City because its main application is in low-speed, urban environments. Indeed, collision avoidance by braking is more appropriate at lower speeds, while steering away from the danger may be more appropriate at higher speeds. 

9,500 fatalities
AEBS could save thousands of lives each year, especially in cities. In 2016, more than 9,500 fatalities were recorded in car crashes in urban settings in the EU alone. Around 40% of these fatalities were pedestrians. It would prevent even more crashes with only material damage (pictured).

Support by Japan and the EU provides a huge boost for the UN proposal. The two markets represent annual new-vehicle sales of 4 and 15 million, respectively. 

Following the announcement by Japan and the EU, a spokesperson for the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva was quick to counter any negative feelings around AEBS: “The system will activate the vehicle’s brake to stop a crash. AEBS will not drive the vehicle. It will only brake.”

He also confirmed that older vehicles would be under no obligation to be retrofitted with the technology. 

U.S., India, China
The UN proposal does not cover the U.S., China and India, countries which have major automotive markets of their own, but who were not part of the original 1958 UN agreement on which the current proposed regulation builds.

However, in 2016 the major U.S. auto manufacturers already agreed to include automatic emergency braking in all new cars from 2022. A similar system could become mandatory in India from 2022 as well.