November 25, 2024

Wyden, Colleagues Urge Feds to Quickly Implement Life-Saving Traffic Safety Provisions

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined his colleagues in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , urging a swift implementation of life-saving traffic safety provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

“The IIJA included numerous provisions designed to hit the brakes on the nation’s traffic safety crisis by addressing alcohol-impaired driving, seatbelt non-use, and distracted driving. The law also required NHTSA to advance standards related to vehicle design and operation, such as crash avoidance technologies, bumper and hood size, and automatic engine shutoff. As NHTSA has implemented these safety provisions, roadway deaths have fallen by more than 5%,” the lawmakers wrote Deputy NHTSA Administrator Sophie Shulman.

“Although this progress is encouraging, NHTSA has more work to do. The agency must still finalize some of its proposed rules and has not yet issued rules for many provisions — rules that are already overdue or nearing their statutory deadline. These statutorily required provisions are critical to maintaining our progress in reducing roadway deaths,” the lawmakers continued.

The senators requested an update on NHTSA’s work to implement the following critical safety provisions in the law:

Recall Completion (Sec. 24202), which directs the agency to publish an annual list of recall completion rates. NHTSA’s December 2023 letter indicated this list would be available by early 2024.
Motor Vehicle Seatback Safety Standards (Sec. 24204), which directs the agency to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and final rule if determined appropriate to update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207 regarding seatback safety standards. In July 2024, the agency published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on car seatback safety.
Automatic Shutoff (Sec. 24505), which directs the agency to issue a final rule to require manufacturers of vehicles with keyless ignitions to install a device that automatically shuts off the vehicle after it idles for a certain period. The agency's December 2023 letter indicated it would issue the proposed rule in 2024.
Crash Avoidance Technology (Sec. 24208), which directs the agency to issue minimum performance standards for crash avoidance technologies and to require all cars be equipped with a forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking system as well as a lane departure warning and lane keeping assist system. The agency finalized a proposed rule on this issue in September 2024.
Reduction in Driver Distraction (Sec. 24209), which directs the agency to conduct research on driver monitoring systems to reduce driver distraction and driver disengagement. The agency’s December 2023 letter indicated it would complete this research within the prescribed three-year time period.
Headlamps (Sec. 24212), which directs the agency to issue a final rule amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108 regarding performance-based standards for vehicle headlamps. The agency’s December 2023 letter indicated it would complete the rulemaking in 2024.
Hood and Bumper Standards (Sec. 24214), which directs the agency to request comments on potential updates to hood and bumper standards. The agency’s December 2023 letter indicated it would request feedback from stakeholders and submit the report to Congress within the prescribed two-year time period.
Early Warning Reporting (Sec. 24216), which directs the agency to conduct a study on existing requirements for manufacturers to report information and data to the Department of Transportation to help identify potential safety issues. In May 2023, the agency submitted the report to Congress.
Advanced Impaired Driver Technology (Sec. 24220), which directs the agency to issue a final rule requiring new vehicles to be equipped with impaired driving prevention technology. The agency issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in December 2023 and in its December 2023 letter indicated it intended to finalize the rule in an unspecified amount of time.
Child Safety (Sec. 24222), which directs the agency to issue a final rule requiring new cars to be equipped with a system to alert the driver to check rear seats after the engine is turned off. The agency’s December 2023 letter indicated NHTSA would publish the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2024, but this rule is delayed until at least April 2025.

The letter was led by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. In addition to Wyden, the letter was also signed by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M.

The text of the letter is here.