Daily Auto News Senate Committee Approves Auto Safety Bill
Daily Auto News
Runaway Toyotas may no longer be the latest headlines, but the effects of Toyota’s massive accelerator pedal recall are still making news.
On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee passed “a far-reaching vehicle safety bill that has largely won both automaker and consumer support, sending the measure to the full Senate,” says Automotive News.
According to the Associated Press, “The Senate plan would require automakers to meet new standards related to brake override systems, vehicle black boxes and auto electronics in the aftermath of Toyota Motor Corp.’s recall of more than 8 million vehicles around the globe.”
Brake override systems prevent the simultaneous use of the brake and throttle pedals by cutting power when the brakes are applied. Vehicle black boxes record vehicle data (related to speed, throttle position, brake pressure, etc.) for a set period of time to help officials determine the cause and fault of an accident.
The AP reports, “Congress hopes to approve the safety legislation by the July 4 holiday recess. It represents the most significant reforms to auto safety rules since the Bridgestone/Firestone tire recalls of a decade ago.”
The AP further states that, “Under the Senate bill, companies could face penalties of up to $300 million for a slow response to a recall. Toyota paid a record $16.4 million fine for its handling of a recall but critics said the penalty was not severe enough.”
Yet, the proposed bill also places more money in the hands of the NHTSA.
“Safety advocates also have questioned the ability of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to protect consumers from complicated safety defects. To address those concerns, NHTSA could see its annual budget grow from $140 million to $280 million in 2013,” reveals the AP.
The House committee approved similar legislation last month.
“The main point of contention between the bills is that the House measure would phase in a $9-a-vehicle fee on manufacturers to help beef up funding for NHTSA, while the Senate measure doesn’t have this provision,” explains Automotive News.
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