As fatalities among pedestrians rise in the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing new rules that seek to address the issue. The new rules would add a pedestrian crash test to a vehicle’s assessment, and set new standards for automatic emergency braking technology.
“Ensuring the safety of pedestrians is a top priority at DOT (Department of Transportation), and these proposed updates to [the New Car Assessment Program] are an important step in addressing the crisis of roadway deaths in America,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson. “Vehicles must be designed to protect their occupants while increasing safety for those outside the vehicle, too.”
As part of these measures, NHTSA is developing a proposed rule that will set safety standards for automatic emergency braking. These systems can help prevent or mitigate collisions with pedestrians by automatically applying the brakes.
NHTSA has also opened a request for public comment on a new pedestrian crashworthiness test. This will be implemented as part of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and will determine how well vehicles protect pedestrians in a crash. The test will provide consumers with important safety information relating to pedestrian safety.
The proposals come after on-road fatalities skyrocketed during the pandemic. Although the figures for drivers leveled off in 2022, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities continued to rise in the U.S.
Studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety suggest that the danger may be linked to America’s love of large vehicles. These vehicles are likelier to fatally strike pedestrians when turning than cars.
It also found that, although automatic emergency braking systems help to prevent accidents and injuries for pedestrians, there’s still room for improvement. For instance, they are less effective at night, which is when they are likely to be the most useful.
NHTSA’s increased scrutiny is part of the National Roadway Safety Strategy, a roadmap created by the Department of Transportation to address what it describes as a “national crisis in traffic fatalities and serious injuries.”
