New bill honours memory of American teen cyclist Magnus White with automatic emergency braking requirement

Seventeen-year-old cyclist Magnus White tragically lost his life in Boulder, Colorado, after being struck by a distracted driver in 2023. In response, his parents established The White Line Foundation with the mission to eliminate preventable road deaths by 2035. The foundation is now close to seeing a legislative milestone with the proposed HR 7353, known as the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act, which aims to mandate automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems capable of detecting vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motorcyclists, and wheelchair users in all new passenger vehicles weighing under 10,000 pounds by 2029. The bill seeks to expand current AEB regulations by requiring technology that can identify and respond to vulnerable road users, a feature already mandatory in the UK and EU since July 2024. AEB uses sensors, cameras, and radar to detect obstacles and automatically applies brakes if the driver fails to react in time. While some US car manufacturers offer AEB with cyclist detection on select models, it is not universally available, and many vehicles lack this life-saving technology. The foundation highlights that had such systems been present, Magnus’s death might have been prevented. HR 7353 represents the foundation’s second attempt to enshrine these safety measures into law, following the earlier Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act of 2024, which stalled in the House. The bill recently passed a key subcommittee and is scheduled for a markup session where it may be amended before a full House vote as part of a broader $550 billion Surface Transportation Reauthorization package. Executive Director Jacqueline Claudia emphasises the importance of momentum at this stage, noting that progress in the House is critical for the bill’s eventual enactment. The potential impact of AEB with vulnerable road user detection is already evident in autonomous vehicle technology, with companies like Waymo reporting an 83% reduction in cyclist injury crashes compared to human drivers. If passed, HR 7353 could significantly improve road safety for cyclists and other vulnerable groups across the United States. The White Line Foundation encourages public support through advocacy tools to help ensure the bill’s success, continuing Magnus White’s legacy of promoting safer streets for all.