New U.S. vehicle safety ratings will indicate how well driver-assistance tech and pedestrian detection mechanisms.
Starting in 2026, U.S. vehicle safety ratings will include information on driver-assistance technologies and pedestrian protection mechanisms, reports Tom Krisher for the Associated Press.
The safety ratings currently in place, which were introduced in 1978, are based on crash tests that measure the effects of crashes on passengers inside the car. Now, ratings will also include “pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind spot warning, and intervention if a driver tries to move toward a vehicle in a blind spot.”
The added features will receive a pass or fail grade before the system is expanded to more nuanced ratings. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the hope is that carmakers will use these ratings to compete for customers in the same way they do with crash test ratings.
The new rules also tighten regulations around existing safety features such as automatic emergency braking and set design standards for pedestrian safety.
FULL STORY: US to add features such as blind spot warnings and pedestrian detection to vehicle crash ratings
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