The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade released several draft proposals on Wednesday as part of an effort to create legislation to improve safety for families on U.S. roads and highways.
The Energy and Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the drafts, during which time stakeholders also will identify other ideas and projects for improving motor vehicle safety, including measures aimed at potentially altering the role of vehicle manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“Drivers and their loved ones can never be too safe on the roads and our work to boost vehicle safety continues,” full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) said in a joint statement. “Jobs and safety have been hallmarks for generations of American automakers – and imagination and ingenuity have sparked some of the most remarkable advancements in safety and performance, all the while putting millions of Americans to work.”
Upton and Bishop said there is “an urgency for improvement with both automakers and NHTSA as the next generation of vehicles and innovation are set to emerge.”
The subcommittee’s overall agenda includes proposals that would: incentivize the adoption of crash avoidance technologies and other connected vehicle technologies that improve roadway safety and fuel efficiency; improve recall awareness; increase privacy and security protections for motorists; and modernize the NHTSA for the Digital Age.