Issues
U.S. probes 553,000 Nissan Rogue SUVs for unintended emergency braking
The probe into 2017-2018 model year Nissan Rogue and Rogue Sport vehicles follows a petition from the Center for Auto Safety seeking a formal government investigation. The petition noted that Nissan previously issued a Technical Service Bulletin, launched two “Quality Actions,” and initiated a “Customer Service Initiative” to address concerns. Center for Auto Safety Executive…
GM Recalls Almost 3.5 Million SUVs and Pickups for a Brake Problem
Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said in an email that the recall’s timeline raises concerns, especially because a recall was issued in June for Canadian owners. “The question isn’t whether 9 months was fast enough to get from opening the investigation to this recall; the question is why did GM’s…
NTSB: California Should Fix Highway Safety Barriers Faster
Jason Levine, an attorney and executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit consumer group, declined comment on whether the NTSB report could be advantageous for plaintiffs suing California over poor highway infrastructure. But he said the NTSB’s findings show the crucial role that infrastructure plays in car safety. “Just as higher priority…
Spotting a Fire Truck Ahead Is Easy for People, Not So for Cars
Advocates for cutting the death toll on U.S. roadways are eagerly awaiting the maturity of the technology because of its promise to reduce accidents, particularly rear-end collisions, Levine said. “It is a potential giant leap forward in terms of protecting drivers, passengers and pedestrians,” he added. “It just has to be done right.” To the…
NTSB: Autopilot flaw, driver inattention caused Tesla crash
The Center for Auto Safety, another advocacy group, also called for a recall. “Put simply, a vehicle that enables a driver to not pay attention, or fall asleep, while accelerating into a parked fire truck is defective and dangerous,” the group said in a statement. “Any company that encourages such behavior should be held responsible,…
Star Safety Ratings, Long Helpful to Car Buyers, Now Languish in the Breakdown Lane
“There is no comparative value in the system anymore. It’s the equivalent of handing out candy at Halloween: Everybody gets some,” said Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety based in Washington, D.C. Grade inflation in school makes it difficult to distinguish who is actually achieving in the classroom. The federal…
Automatic emergency braking boosts safety but some complaints of false activations
“When they work, they are among the most revolutionary sets of safety technology that we’ve had in a long time,” said Jason Levine, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety… “We believe it’s a real safety concern when you’ve got brakes engaging when they shouldn’t be,” said Levine. “This should be a recall.”…
Write new rules for AV safety, NHTSA told
In comments submitted to NHTSA last week, the center questioned the agency’s choice to “prioritize a potential roll back of important protections afforded by the current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.” The center says rollbacks would “accommodate the introduction of vehicle technology that is in its infancy and quite likely decades away from widespread practical…
NTSB cites driver error, Tesla Autopilot design in crash report
The Center for Auto Safety called on NHTSA to order Tesla to recall vehicles equipped with AutoPilot. “NTSB has done its job by thoroughly investigating this technology and this crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must also now do its job and recall these vehicles,” the watchdog group said in a statement. “Today, NTSB…