Toyota Update: Automatic Braking For Nearly All Models Standard By 2017

By Jose de la Cruz | Mar 23, 2016 10:00 AM EDT

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Toyota has recently announced that automatic braking will be standard on nearly all its car and truck models by 2017. This is five years ahead of the Sept. 1, 2022 deadline the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave to all U.S. carmakers.

A car's automatic breaking system consists of sensors, cameras and radar to enable a vehicle's brake system to kick in when there's an object blocking its path, even if the driver takes no immediate action.

This automatic braking system is already offered in some of the Toyota and Lexus models although only as a low-cost option. But the Japanese automaker will make it standard on 25 trim lines by 2017.

Later on Toyota will make this feature available on the Toyota Mirai, Lexus, Scion iA, 4Runner and 86.

The NHTSA and US carmakers have inked an agreement last week that requires automatic braking to be standard on all cars and trucks by 2022. That means all cars will be equipped with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking for them to be allowed on the road.

This technology is now available only as an optional feature in some car models, but it is often expensive. It is effective since the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says it has been proven that cars equipped with automatic braking system have reduced rear-end crashes by approximately 40 percent and bodily injury by as much as 30 percent.

The agreement between the NHTSA and carmakers involved a majority of the car industry sector in the United States. These carmakers represent around 99 percent of the country's automotive car market. That means nearly all cars in the U.S. will have this system by 2022.

Aside from Toyota Motor Corp., these car makers include in alphabetical order, Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.

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