The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may have finally stopped dragging its feet over proposed backup camera rules, but the safety agency has missed two more self-imposed deadlines for in-car safety items.
NHTSA administrator David Strickland stated in January of 2013 that the agency would make a decision on whether to require automakers to install car-to-car communications devices by December 31, but the agency has yet to make a ruling on the matter. The NHTSA said in a statement on Thursday that it hopes to make a decision on car-to-car communication rules sometime in the coming weeks.
“The Department of Transportation and NHTSA have made significant progress in determining the best course of action for proceeding with additional vehicle-to-vehicle communication activities and expect to announce a decision in the coming weeks,” the agency said, according to The Detroit News.
The NHTSA has been conducting a 3,000 car study with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor over the last year to determine the benefits of car-to-car communication.
The NHTSA notes that car communication tech could cut down on traffic jams and automobile accidents.
Strickland and the NHTSA also failed to meet a 2013 deadline to rule on whether cars should come fitted with automaktic braking. Available now on certain models, automatic braking – which can slow or stop a vehicle if an imminent crash is detected – has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing the number of injuries and deaths on United States roadways.
“NHTSA believes it has the capabilities — and the responsibilities — to estimate the effectiveness of these crash-avoidance systems, without waiting for years or crash data, in order to make regulatory decisions and save more lives,” Strickland told Congress.
January 2, 2014January 2, 2014
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