Media Contact: Shane Austin,
saustin@saferoads.org
202.425.2776
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement of Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates), on New Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Crash Ratings for Cargo Vans and Work Pickups
(Washington, D.C. | October 8, 2026) – The new ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are a clear warning that too many commercial vehicles lack adequate front crash prevention. IIHS found poor performance to be common among cargo vans and heavy-duty pickups, with two vans lacking automatic emergency braking (AEB) altogether. Congress directed the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in the last surface transportation reauthorization bill to issue a Final Rule by November 2023 which requires AEB technology on heavy vehicles.
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in June 2023 noted that taking this regulatory action will save 155 lives and prevent 8,814 injuries and over 19,000 crashes annually. The rulemaking also will result in net benefits of close to $2 billion per year. With the combination of these documented safety gains and the dire results of the IIHS ratings, quick action to finalize a comprehensive federal safety standard is essential.
Equipping all trucks with AEB, including those driving around our neighborhoods where children are playing or biking to school and people are walking their dogs, to drop off e-commerce packages and conduct other services will save lives.
Advocates also urges NHTSA to retain the existing federal AEB rule for passenger vehicles and Congress to strengthen it by passing the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act of 2026, which will require detection of vulnerable road users.
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About Advocates
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is an alliance of consumer, medical, public health, law enforcement and safety groups and insurance companies and agents working together to make America’s roads safer. Advocates’ mission is the adoption of federal and state laws, policies and programs that prevent motor vehicle crashes, save lives, reduce injuries, and contain costs.