New Safety Bill Mandates Advanced Braking Systems to Detect Cyclists and Pedestrians by 2029

The Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act of 2026 is a major push to upgrade the safety tech in our driveways. Specifically, it targets Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)—that feature where your car slams on the brakes for you if it senses a crash. While many cars have this now, this bill sets a hard deadline of September 1, 2029, for all manufacturers to meet existing safety standards. More importantly, it orders a massive upgrade to that tech so it doesn't just see other cars, but also the person on a bike or the neighbor in a wheelchair. Under Section 2, the Department of Transportation has two years to finalize rules that make these systems smarter and more inclusive, ensuring they work regardless of a person’s skin tone or what they’re wearing.

Beyond the Bumper

Currently, some safety systems struggle when the sun goes down or when they encounter someone who isn't in a standard vehicle. This bill explicitly requires AEB systems to function in both daylight and low-light conditions. It also expands the definition of a "vulnerable road user" to include almost everyone outside the car: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and people using wheelchairs. For a commuter biking to work at dawn or a parent pushing a stroller in the evening, this means the car approaching them will be legally required to have technology that recognizes their presence and reacts across the full range of human complexions and clothing colors.

The Tech Timeline

The rollout happens in two main phases. First, car companies have to hit the existing safety benchmarks by late 2029. Second, once the new, more advanced rules for detecting cyclists and motorcyclists are finalized (expected within two years), manufacturers get another two-year window to get that tech into new models. While this is a win for road safety, it’s worth noting that these upgrades aren't free. Car manufacturers will likely face higher production costs to integrate more sensitive sensors and better software, which could lead to a bump in the sticker price for new car buyers.

Real-World Reliability

To keep things consistent, the bill prevents the government from lowering the speed thresholds for when these systems must kick in, ensuring they remain effective at the speeds where most pedestrian accidents happen. By citing specific requirements for detecting "all-terrain vehicles and tractors" and people in wheelchairs, the legislation moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach to road safety. The challenge will lie in the execution; the Secretary of Transportation will need to ensure that the "range of colors and complexions" requirement is backed by rigorous testing so the tech works equally well for everyone on the road.