Sponsors (2)
The bill prioritizes broader, more inclusive automatic emergency braking requirements to improve safety for vulnerable road users and gives manufacturers a predictable regulatory timeline, but that comes with higher manufacturer costs (likely passed to buyers), tight deadlines that could strain implementation, and a cap on AEB maximum speed that limits some high-speed safety improvements.
People walking, bicycling, using wheelchairs, and other road users will face fewer collisions because required AEB systems must detect and respond to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and wheelchair users across skin tones, clothing/gear, and in both daylight and low light across the pedestrian AEB speed range.
Vehicle manufacturers and regulators get a clearer, predictable regulatory timeline (final revised rule within 2 years and compliance within 2 years after issuance), helping companies plan compliance and deployment.
Vehicle buyers and taxpayers may face higher vehicle prices because automakers will likely incur increased engineering, testing, and certification costs to redesign AEB systems for low-light and broader detection requirements.
Manufacturers and regulators could be strained by tight deadlines (initiate within 180 days; final rule within 2 years; compliance within 2 years), creating compliance burdens and risk of implementation delays if testing and certification capacity is insufficient.
Drivers and other road users may miss out on potential safety gains at higher speeds because the bill prohibits increasing the rule’s maximum AEB operating speed, limiting improvements in high-speed detection.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs DOT to revise passenger-vehicle AEB rules so systems work in low light, detect/respond to bicyclists and other vulnerable road users across skin tones/clothing, with set deadlines.
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress February 4, 2026
Requires the Department of Transportation to update U.S. automatic emergency braking (AEB) rules so AEB on passenger vehicles works in daylight and low light, detects and responds to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users and other vulnerable road users across a full range of skin tones, clothing, and protective gear, and covers the full pedestrian AEB speed range. The DOT must start rulemaking within 180 days, issue a final revised rule within 2 years, and set a compliance date no later than 2 years after that; the bill also sets a latest compliance date of September 1, 2029 for an existing AEB rule.