NHTSA News

Don’t Blame Texting for Rising Traffic Deaths in the U.S.

Traffic fatalities in the U.S. rose for the second-straight year in 2016 despite a dip in crash deaths linked to distracted driving, according to data released by federal highway safety regulators. Some 37,461 people died in vehicle collisions in 2016, …

Senators Consider Bill to Exempt Some Safety Standards on Self-Driving Cars

A bill to clear away obstacles to a new era of self-driving cars is facing opposition from safety advocates who say it would give automakers free rein to put unsafe vehicles on the road. A Senate panel was scheduled to …

Polaris 3-Wheeled Slingshot Probed After Deadly Driver Ejection

U.S. auto-safety investigators are probing seatbelts installed in Polaris Slingshot three-wheeled vehicles after a driver was thrown and killed in a crash despite being buckled up. The Slingshot slid sideways into oncoming traffic while the driver was making a lane …

Feds Plan to Update Self-Driving Car Guidelines

The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled updated safety guidelines for self-driving cars in an attempt to clear barriers for automakers and tech companies wanting to get test vehicles on the road. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced the new voluntary …

Majority of Drivers Say Distracted Driving Should Be Illegal, Yet Still Do it

A new Progressive Insurance study shows about one third of drivers feel confident in their own ability to text and drive, yet the majority believe distracted driving is the biggest cause of auto accidents and more than 90 percent say …

House Passes Bill to Speed Introduction of Self-Driving Cars

U.S. House lawmakers passed a wide-ranging bill to speed the introduction of self-driving vehicles championed by tech and auto companies racing to develop and deploy the technology. “With this legislation, innovation can flourish without the heavy hand of government,” Ohio …

Latest Fatal Jeep Crash Sparks Criticism of Recall Fix to Prevent Fires

A fatal accident this week involving a Jeep SUV has revived criticism from safety advocates that a federally sanctioned recall plan to keep the vehicle’s fuel tank from igniting in rear-end crashes didn’t go far enough to protect motorists. Vicki …

Pot-Linked Traffic Fatalities Rise Sharply in Colorado

The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Colorado who tested positive for marijuana has more than doubled since 2013, federal and state data show. A Denver Post analysis of the data and coroner reports provides the most comprehensive …

Driverless Cars Mean Major Federal Safety Standard Update on Horizon

When the U.S. government finally got around to regulating auto safety in 1967, it insisted that every car have seatbelts and that the steering column be engineered to absorb impact so it wouldn’t spear the driver. The safety rulebook has …

Safety Agency Expands Ford Explorer Exhaust Leak Probe

The U.S. government’s auto safety agency has expanded an investigation into complaints of exhaust fumes inside Ford Explorer SUVs, adding two model years and nearly 400,000 vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday night that the probe now …