As NHTSA projects a dramatic 10.4 percent jump in traffic fatalities in the first half of 2016, regulator sets vision of ending traffic fatalities within next 30 years. Automated vehicles seen as key to achieving goal. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety […]
NHTSA Announces New Automated Vehicles Policy
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today introduced a new Federal Automated Vehicles Policy which the White House said was “…to help facilitate the responsible introduction of automated vehicles to make transportation safer, cleaner, more accessible, and more efficient.” The policy package is composed of four sections: Vehicle performance guidance for manufacturers, developers, and other […]
NHTSA Publishes Recall Notification Proposal
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) reports that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), released a proposed rule that would require manufacturers to notify consumers of outstanding recalls by electronic means in addition to first-class mail. By not specifying the exact method of notification, the rule allows for flexibility in the method of delivery. According […]
Traffic Fatalities Up Sharply in 2015
White House and DOT issue call to action to data scientists and public health experts as 2,348 more people died in traffic crashes last year compared to 2014. The nation lost 35,092 people in traffic crashes in 2015, ending a 5-decade trend of declining fatalities with a 7.2 percent increase in deaths from 2014. The […]
U.S. DOT Proposes Speed Limiters for Large Commercial Vehicles
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced Friday that the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) propose equipping heavy-duty vehicles with devices that limit their speeds on U.S. roadways, and requiring those devices be set to a maximum speed, a safety measure that could save lives and more […]
AAA Tests Show Automatic Emergency Braking Systems Vary Significantly
Research highlights difference between systems designed to prevent crashes versus those designed to just lessen the severity of a crash. New test results from AAA reveal that automatic emergency braking systems, the safety technology that will soon be standard equipment on 99 percent of vehicles, vary widely in design and performance. All the systems tested […]
Auto Safety Advocates Call for Testing of Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Consumer safety advocates express concern over promotion of robotic technology at the expense of safety standards. Cite Tesla crash as failure by safety regulator. In a letter to National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Mark Rosekind last week, auto safety advocates from the Center for Auto Safety and Consumer Watchdog expressed concern that NHTSA was […]
Consumer Reports Calls for Tesla to Disable AutoPilot
“Consumers should never be guinea pig for vehicle safety ‘beta’ programs” In one of the most critical comments issued in the wake of Tesla’s announcement that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was launching an investigation into the vehicle manufacturer’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving feature following a fatal crash in May, Consumer Reports has called […]
Tesla on Autopilot Involved in Fatal Crash
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opens investigation into fatal crash involving Tesla in Autopilot mode. Tesla Motors announced in a blog post last week that on of its Model S vehicles operating in Autopilot mode was involved in a fatal crash in Florida during May. According to the June 30 blog post, “We learned yesterday […]
NHTSA Expands and Accelerates Takata Air Bag Inflator Recall
NHTSA action phases in recall of additional 35-40 million inflators through 2019. More than doubles the number of vehicles previously recalled. The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding and accelerating the recall of Takata air bag inflators. The decision follows the agency’s confirmation of the root cause behind the […]