All new cars in Europe to be equipped with automatic emergency brakes

Forty countries at the United Nations, led by Japan and the European Union, have agreed to introduce automated braking systems as standard on new cars and light commercial vehicles.

Japan and the European Union may implement the requirement as early as next year. The countries adopting the new regulations do not include the US, China and India.

The regulation will require all new vehicles to be equipped with automated emergency braking (AEB), which uses sensors to automatically brake if it detects an imminent collision, but only if the driver does not respond to the danger in time.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) says that the countries involved in the agreement want to be more pro-active in fighting roadway accidents, particularly in urban settings where pedestrian, scooters, bicycles and other cars are in closer proximity.

The EU had over 9,500 road deaths in 2016, while the EU Commission estimates that systems like the AEB could save over 1,000 lives per year.

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The regulation has clear language that prevents artificial intelligence taking precedence over humans, as drivers will be able to override the automated braking systems at any time, thorugh “a steering action or an accelerator kick-down.”