AGC weighs in on a proposed rule from U.S. DOT to require automatic emergency brakes in all new trucks over 10,000 lbs., impacting construction vehicles. 

On September 5, AGC formally weighed in on the proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to require automatic emergency brakes (AEB) in all new trucks over 10,000 lbs. The proposed rule clarifies that AEB includes “(1) a forward collision warning (FCW) component to alert the driver to an impending collision; (2) a crash imminent braking component (CIB) that automatically applies the vehicle's brakes if the driver does not respond to an imminent crash in the forward direction regardless of whether there's an FCW alert; and, (3) a supplemental brake support component that automatically supplements the driver's brake application if the driver applies insufficient manual braking.” The requirement would take effect 3 years after the rule was finalized and apply to all new trucks.

AGC first argued that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) called on U.S. DOT to do an AEB rule for trucks over 26,000 lbs. and U.S. DOT should implement the law as written, negotiated, and passed by Congress. Instead, U.S. DOT has decided to once again ignore the IIJA and implement their own agenda.

AGC also expressed the need for a deactivation switch. There are unique challenges and unintended consequences of these AEB systems driving off-road through fields to get to construction sites. The AEB systems are often falsely activated by the vegetation in the fields making it difficult to get to the construction site. In addition, driving off-road up or down steep grades can also falsely activate the AEB systems. Currently some truck manufacturers allow the user to turn this feature off which enabled contractors to use these trucks on the construction job.

AGC is asking that U.S. DOT allow for a manual deactivation switch in the final rule.

For more information, contact Alex Etchen at [email protected].