Last week, several manufacturers banded together to announce that they supported making automated emergency braking systems standard on all vehicles, not just as feature content, but as law.
Volvo was one, as you'd expect, but so too were driving-pleasure champions Mazda and EV forward thinkers Tesla.
In all, 10 major car makers said they'd like to have automated braking system standardized across all ranges, rather than being offered as part of a technology package or as an expensive option. Collision avoidance and mitigation systems are already fairly commonplace, but they're often bundled together with automatic cruise control or other features.
To the body governing U.S. Highway safety, that's a problem for the pragmatic buyer. There's almost no reason you should need an automatic braking system, right? If you're paying attention and watching the road, if you've got your phone tucked safely away in a cubby and have Bluetooth engaged in case you do need to make a call, if you've got your mirrors set properly and are following at a safe and prudent distance, it's just something most of us don't need.
So why should we have to pay for it?
Thus, mostly we don't. Unlike heated seats or a sunroof, customers can't really be shown the usual feature-benefit path with an automated safety feature like collision avoidance.
"With this, you won't run into people."
"I wasn't really planning on hitting anyone in the first place."
Further, there are those who decry the proliferation of these systems as further coddling a breed of drivers who get less skillful and attentive by the minute. With cars doing so much for us automatically already, from shifting to anti-lock braking, aren't we already in an era where speed is expected but not respected? We expect even the humblest economy cars to turn, stop and steer on a dime, regardless of weather, and seemingly regardless of velocity.
But let's pull ABS out here as an example and take a look at it in the cold light of day. Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) are one of those features it's almost impossible to find missing from a car. Only the most bare-bones compacts - the kind dealers don't usually bother stocking - are ABS free, and that usually means roll up windows and manual mirrors and other anachronisms.
ABS is an ancient system, dating all the way back to French aircraft pioneer Charles Voisin in 1929. His simple flywheel-based system allowed pilots to go full lock on the brakes without worrying about skidding; the system would simply bleed off a little brake fluid if the wheel locked in place, so there was no need to feather the brake pedal.
The leap from aircraft to vehicles didn't occur until the 1970s, as a luxury feature on Cadillacs and Chrysler Imperials and Lincoln Continentals, all at around the same time. These rolling Palaces of Versailles were no place for racing driver proficiency at feeling when the brakes were right at the limit of overwhelming the tires. Instead, the luxury-swaddled driver simply stomped on the pedal and the chrome behemoth glided to a halt in three football fields instead of four. Progress!
Nowadays, ABS systems are far more complex and include the widespread ability to adapt to rear loading, and even prime the brake pedal with fluid for maximum braking. You can get ABS on a motorcycle, and it's practically a standard feature on any passenger car you can buy.
On the track, where feel is everything, the racers could probably do without it. On the street, where minimum stopping distance equals safety, plain and simple, it's a life saver. Funny how many people don't seem to understand how ABS works and still pump their brake pedals - you can see the brake lights flickering on and off. Really, they should be simply standing on the brakes as hard as they can in an emergency situation.
And that's exactly what Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) will do for you now, and why so many manufacturers are interested in having it standard. Still don't want it on your car? Well, you probably want it on your neighbour's ride. Here's why.
First, despite enforcement, public opinion, and clever ideas like jamming, we're more distracted on the road than ever. As big as the fines get, we can't seem to break the habit of just glancing, just sneaking a peek at those tiny screens - maybe not to send a message, but just to see what our contact wants. It's a hard habit to break.
Ever been stopped at a stoplight with two cars in front of you and three off to your left, as some big-grilled crossover comes barrelling up behind you. Do they see you? Are they paying attention?
Quick, make a choice: should that person have both antilock brakes and automated emergency braking?
It's the old George Carlin line about everyone going faster than you being a maniac and everyone slower an idiot. We aren't a highly trained driving population, many of us have picked up bad habits over the years, and every time you get into your car you put you and your passengers at the mercy of strangers. Nice strangers, granted - this is Canada, after all - but strangers with some really varying skill levels. Strangers whom you've seen barge their shopping carts into the tin can pyramid at the supermarket accidentally.
That's why others should have it, but here's why you'll want AEB too. First, yes, it'll still likely come with automated cruise control, and if you've had to drive on the Upper Levels at any point, you're going to want that to make the commute slightly more bearable.
Second, the more advanced AEB systems would have likely stopped or at least slowed both the cars that hit that 13-year-old girl last year as she walked out from between two parked cars on West Third. See? Sometimes people do silly things, but they don't deserve to be grievously wounded for doing so.
Actually, most pedestrian deaths and injuries in the Lower Mainland actually happen in marked crosswalks, which begs the question: who's really acting thoughtlessly? And never mind the word pedestrian, it's people on foot. At some point, you're going to get out of your car and cross the street to pick up bagels or a library book or your child from after-school art class. Again, do you want the cars bearing down on you to be electronically seeing you, even if their drivers don't?
We aren't always prepared for someone to do something rash, to not follow the rules - but our cars could be. Even if automated driving is years away, with legal hurdles to overcome, this could be the next step in making our roads a little safer.
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and automotive enthusiast. If you have a suggestion for a column, or would be interested in having your car club featured, please contact him at [email protected]. Follow Brendan on Twitter: @brendan_mcaleer.
