Earlier this week, the Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General announced it would audit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with a review of the NHTSA’s efforts to set and enforce safety standards. The inspector general’s office noted that over 36,000 Americans died in traffic accidents last year.
The NHTSA issues the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which are aimed at preventing and reducing automobile crashes. However, some have criticized the NHTSA as being too slow to react to new safety technology.
“Given the importance to the traveling public that all new vehicles and components meet federal safety standards, we are initiating a review of NHTSA’s FMVSS process,” the inspector general’s office wrote.
In response, the NHTSA issued its own statement, saying that it would “work with the Office of Inspector General to provide any pertinent information requested.”
In a statement to Reuters, former NHTSA deputy administrator David Friedman, who served during the Obama administration, said that the NHTSA failed to adopt new life-saving regulations under the Trump administration.
“That is a clear failure to fulfill NHTSA’s mission to save lives and prevent injuries, especially when you consider that there are technologies out there now that could cut the annual death toll in half,” Friedman said.
The NHTSA can sometimes take years to finalize any new changes to vehicle safety standards, which could be seen as out of step in an era of rapid technological progress and innovation. For example, in 2018, the NHTSA finalized rules to require “quiet cars,” such as EVs, to emit audible alerts such that pedestrians would be aware of their approach. Congress initially sought such rules in 2010.
Cruise Origin AV
Now, with the advent of technologies like those associated with autonomous vehicles, the NHTSA is tasked with regulating standards for a brand-new subset of vehicles. Back in March, the agency proposed new rules with regard to occupant safety standards for vehicles without manual controls.
General Motors introduced its first fully autonomous vehicle, Cruise Origin, in January. Origin has been in development for more than three years, and by the time it goes into production, will offer core AV software that will best an average human driver in terms of performance and safety.
Comments
“In a statement to Reuters, former NHTSA deputy administrator David Friedman, who served during the Obama administration, said that the NHTSA failed to adopt new life-saving regulations under the Trump administration.”
That’s a laugh since his NHTSA failed to implement statutory backup camera requirements. Oh, wait, he would argue the country was recovering from its worst recession in history.
But that doesn’t apply to the next president, still in the middle of that recovery… wrong party! This is a partisan hack-attack.
The NHTSA announced in 2014 that all new vehicles built as of May 1, 2018, must have a backup camera, and the delay was to give automakers and suppliers lead time to meet that requirement. Many automakers began making them standard earlier than the deadline because their supply chain could handle it. Not sure what you mean when you say that his NHTSA failed to implement the requirement, because the timeline says otherwise. Trump doesn’t get credit for policies that go into effect while he was in office that were actually announced before he was elected. Speaking as a Republican.
“.Origin has been in development for more than three years, and by the time it goes into production, will offer core AV software that will best an average human driver in terms of performance and safety.”
Doubtful…
The NHTSA is set for an audit by the Inspector General’s office; the IG will report of potential collusion between Trump and Russians is a potential reason for poor performance by the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado.
Trump promised to clean up the swamp. He has done this with various agencies of the U.S. government. For example the head of the TVA was getting a salary of, are you ready….$8 million dollars a year. Trump is putting a stop to this crap. Now this agency will be examined to see if any of the top brass are making million dollar salaries.
You do realize that the Inspectors General aren’t supposed to follow any partisan agendas, right? Funny how a cult of personality can completely upend reason.
With the speed of progress it is hard to implement immediate changes in production. Vehicles can only be made safe to a certain point without increasing cost where the average person cannot afford a vehicle. If a vehicle is built strong enough the people inside will be injured or killed due to the rapid deacceleration with little damage to the vehicle. I believe most injuries and deaths could be avoided by the driver just driving. Get off the cell phone, get off the TV in the middle of the dash, eliminate distractions. I would like to see a feature that eliminates cell phones signals that are emitted from vehicles while moving, the TV in the dash shut down when vehicle is moving, It would be easy for the computers to stop the speeding vehicle, laws that police seem unwilling to enforce. Maybe adding a device that would flash the light and blow the horn with excessive speed. Yet many vehicles don’t even turn the lights on when the wipers are turned, yet it is the law. Don’t blame all the deaths on vehicles when we have uncontrolled drunks on the road attempting to drive!!!