GENEVA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A UN agency said Tuesday some 40 countries as well as the European Union (EU) have agreed on a draft UN emergency regulation for cars' braking systems.
The draft UN Regulation for Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS), adopted at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), will lay down harmonized regulations for automatic braking at speeds of up to 60 kilometers an hour.
It aims to save lives, UNECE spokesperson Jean Rodriguez said at a UN briefing here, noting it could come into effect in some countries in 2020 and the EU in 2022.
"This is a major development that will contribute to saving lives. It is estimated to lead to a significant decrease in crashes," said Rodriguez.
He said the system is already in place for trucks and buses and now will be applied to cars and light vehicles at low-speed limits.
"This will significantly improve road safety, especially in cities, where in the EU alone, over 9,500 fatalities were recorded in 2016, accounting for 38 percent of all road deaths," UNECE said.
AEBS fitted on cars employ sensors to monitor the proximity of the vehicle or pedestrian in front.
It can detect where the relative speed and distance between the two vehicles or between the car and pedestrian suggest that a collision is imminent.
"In such a situation, if the driver does not react to the system's warning alerts, emergency braking will be automatically applied to avoid the collision or at least to mitigate its effects," said UNECE.
