Issues
US proposes voluntary guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administration
Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said one of the few good things about the plan is that companies will have to report data on crashes and other problems. There have been reports that the Trump administration may want to scrap a NHTSA order that now requires autonomous vehicle companies…
Blumenthal Introduces Legislation to Prevent Frontover Child Deaths
For Immediate Release Contact: Kelly O’Keeffe (202) 617-1561 December 16, 2024 BLUMENTHAL INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO PREVENT FRONTOVER CHILD DEATHS [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced today the introduction of legislation to prevent child deaths due to frontover incidents. The Standards to Prevent (STOP) Frontovers Act would require all new vehicles…
‘We feel really let down by Volkswagen’: VW all-electric SUV in shop more than 7 months
Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety told Action 9′s Jeff Deal, “Having an open door driving down the highway can pose a threat to occupants, as well as people outside the car. That’s an enormous safety issue. Losing your speedometer while you’re driving, having no idea how fast you’re going, a…
Vehicles should better protect against pedestrian head injuries, NHTSA says
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, described the proposed rule as one piece of a multipart effort to address pedestrian safety that is “sorely needed” and one that would be a significant milestone for federal regulations in this area. “The NHTSA pedestrian safety proposal currently open for comment relates specifically to…
Ford failed to comply with vehicle recall rules, must pay up to $165M, feds say
“A more active regime around civil penalties and enforcement, as well as larger amounts to punish violations, would go a long way towards making automakers prioritize safety,” Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, told the Free Press at the time. By Matthew Dolan November 14, 2024 Ford Motor Co. will have…
Elon Musk says he and Trump have ‘mandate to delete’ regulations. Ethics laws could limit Musk role
“That could be incredibly problematic because that would impact every rule-making from all of the agencies that currently oversee companies that Musk owns,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, a watchdog group. By Matt O’Brien and Tom Krisher November 13, 2024 In picking billionaire Elon Musk to be “our cost cutter”…
GM to make bicyclist-alert technology standard on most of its vehicles
By Jamie L. LaReau November 13, 2024 General Motors’ Safety Engineer Frank Dusina wants to be sure that drivers are alerted to bicyclists, not just because it’s his job — it’s also personal. In the early 2000s, Dusina’s close friend was biking one night through Grand Rapids. The friend was near a highway off-ramp when…
US agency says Tesla’s public statements imply that its vehicles can drive themselves. They can’t.
Auto safety advocates fear that if Musk gains some control over NHTSA, the Full Self-Driving and other investigations into Tesla could be derailed. “Of course the fox wants to build the henhouse,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit watchdog group. By Tom Krisher November 8, 2024 The U.S.…
Experts: Trump presidency could benefit Detroit automakers, but cost car buyers more
“If the first Trump presidency is any indication, we will see NHTSA’s now-active rulemaking division come to a screeching halt. I think we only saw two relatively minor final rules make it across the finish line from 2017-2020 in Trump’s first term, whereas the Biden NHTSA has been far more active in rulemaking efforts,” Brooks…
Is Amazon’s robotaxi company trying to sidestep federal safety laws?
“Our belief is that a deployment of these vehicles on public roads is a violation of the Safety Act,” said Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety. “Zoox isn’t so much exploiting a gray area as they are putting a foot over the red line and challenging NHTSA to call their bluff.”…