The most difficult part of FMVSS 127 is the nighttime pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) test. This is unlike the EU's new AEB regulation, which requires working in complete darkness. According to NHTSA, more than 70% of pedestrians struck and killed by drivers are struck.
Protecting pedestrians at night “will likely require further advances and developments in sensor technology,” said Nadine Wong, director of truck testing at independent testing firm Dynamic Research. Dynamic Research, working from a test track 15 miles north of Bakersfield, California, has already conducted FMVSS 127 testing for clients. “We know that there are vehicles available now that are already close to achieving the standard,” Wong said.
NHTSA acknowledges that FMVSS 127 is “for technology,” but emphasizes that “the standard is actionable.”
According to NHSTA, the industry will earn $354 million, mostly due to software development costs of $354 million, but U.S. society will benefit up to $7.26 billion. Calls for service, medical, insurance administrative costs, workplace costs, and legal costs.
“Considering that automobiles are America's largest manufacturing sector, employing 10 million Americans, generating 5% of U.S. GDP, and driving $1 trillion into the economy every year,” Chase says. [the auto industry] It will not be possible to meet the requirements of the AEB regulation by September 2029. ”
During a press conference, William Wallace, director of safety advocacy at Consumer Reports, agreed: “It's very unfortunate that automakers are suing to block this automatic emergency braking rule.”
Sean Kildare, research director at Highway and Auto Safety Advocates, agrees. “When they say, 'It's not viable, we can't meet this standard,' that's false. “Because some car companies already sell vehicles in the U.S. that do that,” he says. . [Auto companies] I just don't want to pay that on every vehicle. ”
Still, Alliance's Bozzella calls FMVSS 127 a “disastrous” rule. [and] Make vehicles more expensive. ” Somewhat strangely, Bozzella also claims that the standards are stricter than the equivalent standards in the EU, and that being stricter “does not actually improve safety for drivers or pedestrians.”
But the alliance's lawsuit is bound to fail, Chase says. “NHTSA is risk-averse. They like everything to be buttoned up. If they thought it was easy to challenge, they wouldn't have issued this rule.”
Late last year, NHTSA released a series of studies showing that federal motor vehicle safety standards have saved more than 860,000 lives since 1968. NHTSA estimates that frontal airbags alone have saved more than 50,000 lives over 30 years.
President Trump has nominated Stephen Bradberry to be Secretary of Transportation. Bradbury is a fellow at the right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation, whose Project 2025 is a more than 900-page blueprint for the government that Trump disavowed during the election.
Project 2025's transportation plan includes reducing fuel economy standards and removing highway spending from pedestrian and bicycle projects. Project 2025 also supported smaller government and less regulation. It was thought that this would likely be charged by Elon Musk's government efficiency, or Doge.
It's unclear what President Trump, Dot, or Doge will do with FMVSS 127, but Norton, author of a book on autonomous driving, says, “If we can't get automakers to embrace automating their vehicles for safety, then… We can do that.'' We hope that T will be completely serious about robot cars. ”
