By Steven Symes 
Automakers have voiced their concerns with an auto emergency braking rule the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized back in April. While originally it looked like NHTSA might reverse the controversial regulation, the federal government organization just confirmed it’s not going to budge on the rule.
This is the time to get behind the right to repair.
Through the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents most major automakers in this country, the industry argued the rule, which goes into effect for 2029, is both impractical and ineffective. But federal regulators aren’t known for always basing their decisions on the constraints of reality.
As Reuters points out, this is one of the most drastic safety regulations imposed on the auto industry in some time. It’s a curious move at this time with the regulation-cutting promises incoming President Trump is making, so we’ll see how that plays out.
That rule requires passenger cars all have technology onboard to bring them to a full stop at speeds up to 62 mph without any driver input when a car in front of them suddenly brakes. Automakers have said with technology as it is now, adhering to that is essentially impossible.
Not only that, but automakers have argued the rule wouldn’t do anything to improve pedestrian safety. NHTSA seems to disagree with that assessment.
What’s more, automakers have pointed out to even attempt to adhere to this rule would require outfitting vehicles, from the cheapest models to the most expensive, with costly onboard technologies. In other words, if you think it’s expensive to get a new ride at the moment, give it a few years and this regulation will help make that worse.
Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella has already written a letter to President-elect Trump asking him to consider doing away with the regulation. Considering the promises of cuts being made, he just might get his wish after all.
Image via Mercedes-Benz