Brake failures and inadequate vehicle braking system standards are responsible for up to 22% of all motor accidents in the US.
Evidently, the US government is trying its best to come up with proper vehicle braking standards to reduce these numbers.
And it did. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandated several rules and standards to avoid car accidents due to brake system issues.
Let’s take a look at a few of them!
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The New Federal Mandate States that Every New Car Must Have an Automatic Emergency Braking System by 2029
NHTSA has recently released a new federal mandate that requires every new car, light truck, and van to be equipped with an automatic emergency braking(AEB) system by 2029.
This revolutionary braking system can detect objects blocking your vehicle’s path and automatically pull the brake to avoid accidents.
The previous version of these brakes could only help you avoid hitting motionless cars. However, the latest AEB systems can detect small objects obstructing your vehicle’s trajectory and hit the brake automatically to avoid crashing into them.
Although a few car companies are already incorporating AEB systems into their vehicles, the new federal law needs every new car in 2029 to have this feature.
NHTSA believes that adding this feature can easily prevent over 24,000+ injuries and save at least 360 lives annually.
The new safety standard requires the braking system to stop the cars and avoid hitting the vehicle ahead of them as long as the max speed is up to 62 mph.
The new AEB system should also be capable of detecting pedestrians ahead of the cars at night. The brakes should stop the cars from hitting pedestrians as long as the cars’ max speed is up to 45 mph.
Several car companies like Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, Ford, BMW, and Kia are already launching new car models equipped with AEB systems. However, you must not be too reliant on these intelligent emergency brakes.
You can take a look at the reasons for common Nissan braking system malfunctions to not let overreliance on AEB compromise your safety.
The Passenger Cars Must Also Have Antilock Brakes
The antilock brake system, which the US government notified as a mandatory braking standard in 2000, works with a complex set of sensors and performance factors.
This brake system places sensors on your vehicle’s wheels to monitor their speed, grip strength, and other metrics. The sensors collect this data and send it to your car’s computer which is connected to the brake device.
Remember, ABS does not boost the braking force of your car. That’s not its primary goal. Engineers designed ABS to help you control your car’s steering during emergency brakes. Making your car stop faster is just a byproduct of this brake’s design.
If your car doesn’t have an antilock brake system, the brakes, and your car’s wheels lock up when you suddenly press the emergency brakes. When this happens, your car literally starts sliding uncontrollably as you lose control over your car’s steering.
The antilock braking system prevents such things from happening.
This way, you will still keep some steering control over your car after pressing the emergency brakes. As a result, you can still move your car away from the pedestrians or the other cars ahead of you, preventing potential accidents.
What Other Legal Vehicle Braking Standards Your Car Must Meet?
Here are a few legal standards (Also known as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or FMVSS) your vehicle and its braking system must meet:
- According to FMVSS 135, any vehicle with a gross weight under 10,000 pounds should be capable of stopping within 70 meters using cold brakes as long as the speed is lower than 62 mph.
Of course, motorcycles don’t fall under this rule.
- The pedal effort required to make the brakes work must not exceed 500 N.
- In the case of a single hydraulic circuit failure, the vehicle must stop within 168 meters after pressing the cold brakes as long as the vehicle speed is not over 62 mph.
- If the ABS or the antilock brake system fails, the maximum stopping distance after pressing the brake is 85 meters.
Wrapping Things up!
The legal standards for the vehicle braking system are created to keep you safe and prevent accidents. Remember, your vehicle must have:
- Properly working antilock brake system
- If you buy a new car, make sure it is equipped with automatic emergency brake system
- And your car must stop within the distances mentioned in this blog when you press the brakes
Make sure your vehicle meets these legal standards for a safer driving experience.
