Ask the U.S. Department of Transportation to take action to protect all people

In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to include bicyclist-sensitive technology when it issued a new rule requiring all new cars and light trucks to include automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology starting in 2029. We are asking Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to join Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado in advancing a car safety standard for AEB for all cars and light trucks that protect people on bikes and motorcycles and with a range of skin colors.

You can edit the subject and body of the email to make your note more personal!

? Take future action with a single click.
Log in or Sign up for FastAction

Contact Information

First Name Last Name

Street Address

Postal Code City State/Province

Email Mobile Phone (Optional)

Yes, sign me up for email updates.

Remember me so that I can use FastAction next time.

(Optional)

Personalize your subject

Dear Secretary Buttigieg,

Personalize your message

In 2022, drivers hit and killed 7,508 pedestrians and 1,084 bicyclists in the U.S.; pedestrian fatalities were the highest since 1981, and bicyclists fatalities marked an all-time high. In addition to these fatalities, in 2022, drivers hit and injured approximately 67,000 pedestrians and 46,195 bicyclists in the U.S. In 2023 in Colorado, drivers killed 133 pedestrians (up from 62 in 2003) and 20 bicyclists (up from 3 in 2003).

We appreciate the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recognition of this crisis on our roadways and your prioritization of a “safe system” approach that calls for safe roads and safe vehicles. We hope you will join Representative Joe Neguse of Colorado in advancing a car safety standard for automatic emergency braking (AEB) for all cars and light trucks that protect people on bikes and motorcycles. This technology is part of building safer vehicles designed to minimize the frequency and severity of collisions.

In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did not include bicyclist-sensitive technology when it issued a new rule requiring all new cars and light trucks, starting in 2029, to include AEB technology. Instead, NHTSA only requires that new AEB systems stop and avoid contact with a vehicle or pedestrian in front of them.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, bicyclist-AEB systems designed to respond to the three most common deadly crash scenarios could help mitigate or prevent up to 26 percent of bicycle crashes and 52 percent of fatal crashes between drivers and people on bikes.

I ask that you support AEB systems on all new cars and light trucks that detect and react to an imminent crash with bicyclists or motorcyclists in all lighting conditions and at all speeds. Additionally, AEB systems must also be able to detect and react to individuals with a specified range of skin colors representative of very dark to very light complexions. By requiring a cyclist-AEB car safety standard, USDOT would catch up to our European peers and demonstrate action toward its goal of zero roadway fatalities.

AEB systems can help save lives, but we must ensure that the technology values all lives equally. This requires that it recognize people on bikes and motorcycles and with a range of skin colors.

Sincerely, [Your information here]