Issues

Drivers complain of ‘phantom braking’ on some newer model vehicles, NHTSA investigating

May 26, 2022

“AEB is all over the place. We’re seeing different results. Some don’t work great at high speeds and don’t work great with pedestrians especially at night,” remarked Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. By Cynthia Gould May 25, 2022 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBMA) — Complaints about vehicles suddenly slamming on brakes…

More people are dying on U.S. roads, even as cars get safer. Here’s why it’s a tough problem to solve.

May 23, 2022

“It looks like the major component of this rising fatalities is very behavioral, but that doesn’t mean we can’t stop it. We just have to be willing to,” Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety said. By Michael Wayland May 22, 2022 New vehicles on sale in the U.S. today are…

Tesla Steering Wheel and Dash

Feds investigate Newport Beach Tesla crash that killed three

May 20, 2022

The Center for Auto Safety says the technology’s rollout may have been premature. By CBS Los Angeles May 23, 2022 Click here to view the full story from CBS News Los Angeles.

Nearly 43,000 people died on US roads last year, agency says

May 17, 2022

The Transportation Department is moving in the right direction to stem the increase in deaths, but it will take years for many of the steps to work, said Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety. NHTSA, for instance, has regulations pending to require electronic automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection…

CMS bus involved in crash may have been recalled

May 13, 2022

“That’s good that they got them repaired, but the scary part is 35% of the school buses out there with this issue haven’t been fixed,” said Michael Brooks with the Center for Auto Safety. By WSOCTV.com News Staff May 12, 2022 Channel 9 has been investigating and found records that indicate the school bus involved…

Why aren’t seat belts required on school buses?

May 9, 2022

“It’s mainly due to the fact that states haven’t enacted laws to require them, and also attempts at the federal level to require all states to have seat belts on school buses have not been successful,” said Michael Brooks, Acting Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety on why school buses usually do not…

‘All of a sudden it slammed on the brakes’ Hundreds of complaints filed over auto braking systems

May 5, 2022

Because automakers voluntarily decided to do this, Michael Brooks from the Center for Auto Safety says there are no standards or regulations to follow for these systems. Brooks says that could be contributing to the problem. “We’re hoping that NHTSA takes the lessons that it learns in these investigations of the vehicles that are on…

Kias and Hyundais continue to burn after 5.8 million cars and SUVs recalled

May 2, 2022

Michael Brooks, with the Center for Auto Safety, said the recalls and repairs did not go far enough. “The recall did not fix the underlying problems with the engine design that caused these issues in the first place,” Brooks said. “We are going to begin issuing warnings to consumers and try to get the word…

2019 Hyundai Kona Electric

NHTSA investigates LG batteries behind EV recalls for GM, Hyundai, others

April 7, 2022

This follow-up to already-underway recalls is appropriate, Michael Brooks, acting executive director for the Center for Auto Safety, a safety advocacy group, said in an interview with Bloomberg. It should help avoid a situation similar to the recall of defective Takata airbags, he said. Many cars with defective airbags slipped through the initial round of…

LG Faces Tougher U.S. Scrutiny After EV Battery-Fire Recalls

April 5, 2022

“Performing this evaluation now helps ensure that Americans won’t end up in a situation like Takata, with tens of millions of defective batteries in our garages,” Michael Brooks, acting executive director of the Center for Auto Safety said. By Keith Laing and Gabrielle Coppola April 5, 2022 (Bloomberg) — U.S. regulators have opened an investigation…