Washington, D.C., March 3, 2022 – The Lidar Coalition applauds the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) release of the proposed updates to the Five-Star Safety Ratings Program, and proposed inclusion of additional driver assistance technologies to the Program. This proposed update comes at a critical time for roadway safety, when the United States is on pace for 40,000 roadway fatalities in a single year, including a disproportionate increase in pedestrian fatalities.
NHTSA’s proposed inclusion of nighttime testing for pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) without overhead lighting would significantly improve roadway safety for vulnerable road users, and would ensure that PAEB systems function when they are most needed – at night when 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur. The Coalition is also pleased to see NHTSA’s attention to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study which concluded that there is no evidence camera- and radar-based PAEB systems are effective at nighttime without street lighting.
We look forward to continuing to work with NHTSA to ensure that benefits of lidar inclusion and sensor redundancy in automotive safety systems are fully realized for protection of vulnerable road users in all lighting and weather conditions.