WASHINGTON — A group advocating for consumer and roadway safety is urging NHTSA to include bicycle detection in a proposed rule-making on automatic emergency braking.
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety — a consortium of consumer, public health and safety groups as well as insurance companies — said performance standards in the agency's proposal "must ensure all road users, whether inside or outside the vehicle, including bicycles, are protected in all lighting conditions and at all appropriate speeds."
NHTSA last week released its proposal to mandate automatic emergency braking, including pedestrian detection, on all new light-duty vehicles. The agency also set minimum performance standards, calling for systems that can prevent or mitigate frontal crashes at higher speeds and work effectively in the dark.
However, the proposal does not include bicycle detection — a detail the safety group argues is "glaringly missing," especially as U.S. traffic deaths remain at crisis levels.
