NHTSA

Will you be a better driver with Big Brother watching you?

Pretty soon, car accidents will no longer be one person's word against another's -- a new bill will require "black boxes" that record vehicle data to be a standard feature of new cars.

The recently passed Senate Bill 1813 (known as MAP-21) mandates that auto manufactures install Event Data Records (EDR) in all new vehicles starting in 2015. The bill is expected to be approved by the House. The EDRs are similar to the black boxes used to determine what went wrong in an airplane crash, and record data such as speed, brake force, and electrical systems monitoring.

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration has been studying and mulling over EDRs in vehicles for several years, but has stopped short of requiring manufacturers to implement them. However, many auto manufacturers already use these devices to help engineers and mechanics perform diagnostics tests and identify malfunctioning parts. … Read more

To prevent unintended acceleration, NHTSA proposes new standard

If you press the brake, the car should always stop--even if you're also pressing the gas pedal at the same time. That's the way the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration sees it, and it is proposing new regulations that would require brake-throttle override systems in all new vehicles.

In 2009, Toyota vehicles were recalled after a fatal crash involving a Lexus ES350. All occupants of the Lexus were killed when the driver, a 19-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, was unable to stop the vehicle when the brake was pressed because the gas pedal became stuck … Read more

Fed driver distraction guidelines make navigation unusable

Last month, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency published a dense document with guidelines for automakers on how to minimize the distractions caused by in-vehicle electronics. Buried among equations for determining optimal display viewing angles and testing procedures is the recommendation that navigation devices should only show static or near-static images, which would essentially eliminate their usefulness.

Section V.5.b of the document titled Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for In-Vehicle Electronic Devices says that "Dynamic, continuously moving maps are not recommended."

The section, which deals with photographs or videos, says that static or near-static maps for … Read more

Device & Conquer: Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving: Is it the scourge of public safety, or the new normal? What we know is that it's here and its going to grow. Fast.

In this episode of Device & Conquer, Brian Cooley gives us a quick look at the history of understanding distracted driving, what you can do to take control of reducing it in your life, and how the U.S. government may step in to handle that for you. It's the story of driving today. … Read more

Feds to automakers: Block drivers' tweets, texts, surfing

Several states around the U.S. have enacted laws limiting what people can do while driving, but for the first time, the federal government is proposing guidelines all drivers would need to live by.

The Department of Transportation yesterday announced a set of auto-technology guidelines, issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), that would limit the functionality of electronic devices installed in vehicles.

The organization says car makers should not allow drivers to text message, surf the Web, access social networks, or even manually input an address destination into a GPS device, unless the vehicle is in park. … Read more

Chrysler recalls 9,688 Dodge Charger police vehicles

Chrysler Group announced the recall of 9,688 Dodge Charger police vehicles built between 2011 and 2012, to change and relocate the ABS/ESC fuse and replace the headlamp jumper harness.

Some police vehicles were built with front headlamps that could experience a loss of low-beam operation as a result of an overheated bulb harness connector. Other vehicles may experience a loss of ABS/ESC as a result of an overheated power distribution module, Chrysler Group said in a press release.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, "this could lead to loss of visibility and/… Read more

Nissan issues safety recall on 39,000 Versa cars

Nissan announced it is recalling 39,000 Versas due to a possible safety hazard on the automatic and continuously variable transmission cars.

According to the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site, the cars can be shifted out of park without depressing the brake pedal.

Nissan will replace the shifter knob free of charge. Owners need to make an appointment at a Nissan-authorized dealer to fix the problem. Versa owners can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 for more information.

Although there have been no crashes or injuries reported, federal safety regulations require that the brake must be applied before a … Read more

Ford uses vehicle communication to prevent accidents

On a cloudy San Francisco day, a Ford Explorer followed two Ford Fiestas. The lead Fiesta slammed on its brakes, and before the second Fiesta reacted, warning lights went off in the Explorer, alerting the driver to the situation ahead.

The Explorer's apparent precognition was born of technology, a combination of Wi-Fi and GPS. The lead Fiesta used this technology to tell the Explorer that its driver had slammed on the brakes. The Explorer received this information before the driver of the second Fiesta in the lineup could react, and dutifully used warning lights and sounds to tell its … Read more

Keyless ignition rule likely to track SAE plan

WASHINGTON--A federal plan to require automakers to standardize keyless ignition systems in the wake of Toyota's unintended acceleration problems is likely to mirror industry guidelines issued in January, an automaker group said.

Large automakers except Toyota said they already comply with the guidelines crafted by SAE International or plan to do so.

These "recommended practices'' seek to counter the variation, driver confusion, and safety problems that have ensued since automakers started installing push-button ignition in luxury models.

The number of models offering keyless ignition has more than quadrupled to 189 in the 2011 model year--including the Hyundai Elantra … Read more