Why delay on automatic braking?
Long Islanders registered 3 percent more new cars and trucks in September than a year earlier, a new report shows. Credit: iStock
It seems like a no-brainer that new cars ought to have automatic braking systems. The technology helps stop cars before collisions, particularly rear-end impacts, which government statistics show cause as many as 1,700 deaths and 500,000 injuries a year in the United States.
In theory, the major automakers agree to install the technology, which alerts cars to potential crashes by using cameras, radar or lasers. Last year, Audi, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo all agreed to make the brakes standard in all cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles they sell.
Recently, however, The Associated Press reported that automakers want to postpone until 2025 the goal of having the systems in at least 95 percent of vehicles, and even then they would get away with braking that slows vehicles by only 5 mph. Because industry leaders had agreed to make the technology standard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tried to negotiate a voluntary agreement and avoid the cumbersome process of crafting and enforcing regulations. Now, though, the government may have to do so.
The auto industry has a long history of fighting important safety innovations that cost money, from seat belts to air bags to gas tanks that don’t explode on impact. In this case, practically every major manufacturer offers automatic braking as at least an option on at least some models, so the technology is there.
Automakers should make the brakes standard, voluntarily or by regulation, and far sooner than nine years. The technology will save lives. Insurance industry research says the braking can reduce claims by as much as 35 percent, so the systems will save money, too. — The editorial board
