The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 11,260 people were killed on U.S. roadways in the third quarter of 2020, a 13.1% increase compared to the third quarter of 2019. For the first nine months of 2020, 28,190 people died in crashes, a 4.6% increase from the year before. Traffic deaths rose even […]
Vehicle Manufacturer Association Sues to Block Massachusetts Right to Repair Amendments
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation alleges updated Right to Repair law violates motor vehicle safety regulations and is an unlawful taking of manufacturers’ intellectual property under the U.S. Constitution. The association representing manufacturers producing nearly 99 percent of cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court […]
NHTSA Seeks Public Comment on Automated Driving System Safety Principles
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking public comment on the potential development of a framework of principles to govern the safe behavior of automated driving systems (ADS) in the future. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) was submitted to the Federal Register on November 19 and is […]
GM Recalls Chevrolet Bolt Recall for Battery Fire Risk, Says Vehicles Should Be Parked Outside Until Repaired
General Motors and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) said owners of some MY 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt vehicles should park their cars outside and away from homes until their vehicles have been repaired, due to a new recall for the risk of fire from their battery packs. GM has issued a recall of 50,932 […]
2019 Fatality Data Show Continued Annual Decline in Traffic Deaths
Second quarter 2020 projections show reduced overall fatalities but confirms trend toward risky driving behaviors during coronavirus crisis. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a preview of 2019 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and preliminary estimates for the first half of 2020. Alongside the release of the 2019 […]
NHTSA Issues Warning on Recalled Harbor Freight Jack Stands
Harbor Freight Tools is recalling more than 1.7 million Pittsburgh Automotive 3 Ton and 6 Ton Heavy Duty Steel Jack Stands. The jack stands may collapse under load, which can increase the risk of injury to people near or under a lifted vehicle. Owners of these jack stands are asked to immediately discontinue use due […]
Four Vehicle Manufacturers Meet Automatic Emergency Braking Commitment Ahead of 2022 Target
Four vehicle manufacturers equipped virtually all the light vehicles they produced for the U.S. market between Sept. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2019, with automatic emergency braking (AEB), three years ahead of a 2022 target. Audi and Volvo joined Mercedes-Benz and Tesla, which hit the target last year, in outfitting all their light passenger vehicles […]
U.S. Roadway Fatalities Decline for Second Straight Year
Newer, safer vehicles helped reduce fatalities as driving reached record levels. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released highway crash fatality data for 2018, showing a 2.4 percent decline in overall fatalities, the second consecutive year of reduced crash fatalities. Under this Administration and Secretary Chao’s leadership, the USDOT has focused […]
Consumer Reports Says Government Documents Show Safety Failures by Tesla
Says NHTSA must do more to hold companies accountable, update 5-star rating program. Consumer Reports yesterday said that emails and other government documents released publicly for the first time show failures by Tesla regarding its safety claims and the performance of Autopilot, and the documents reveal that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must […]
U.S. DOT Holds Conference on Traffic Safety and Radio Spectrum for V2X Communications
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) reports that at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Conference on Traffic Safety and the 5.9 GHz Spectrum, the deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reiterated DOT’s No. 1 priority is safety. NHTSA’s Heidi King said using the 5.9 GHz spectrum to incorporate vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies within […]