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WASHINGTON — President Joe BidenThe election, which is running the country’s road safety agency, pledged on Thursday to attack the deadly car crash crisis by enforcing safety rules to deter disabled driving, while examining rapidly emerging automated technologies that could put people at risk, such as with Tesla vehicles.
Steven Cliff, a former California pollution regulator, said he He was “seriously concerned” about the unprecedented rise in deaths due to reckless driving during the coronavirus pandemic.
he he said if he is confirmed as president National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, he It will work to swiftly adopt regulations, such as regulations promoting seat-belt use, and implement mandates under the new infrastructure law to reduce drunk driving.
“I’m determined to turn this around” Cliff He told the Senate Commerce Committee, citing the trend of collapse.
he said infrastructure law would help by increasing NHTSAIt has increased its budget by 50%, with money used to increase staffing and improve US data collection to understand where and how accidents occur.
Although total miles traveled had fallen at the start of the epidemic, an estimated 38,680 people died in traffic accidents in 2020, the highest figure since 2007. In the first three months of 2021, 8,730 people died in motor vehicle traffic accidents, an increase of 10.5% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The Associated Press reported in October that the agency is grappling with a growing backlog of safety rules mandated by Congress that is overdue and could save thousands of lives. An AP review of rulemaking by NHTSA According to the last three presidents, at least 13 auto safety rules have been found to be overdue, including a rear seat belt reminder requirement passed by Congress in 2012 and implemented by 2015.
Cliff, who is currently the agency’s deputy director, is expected to receive broad support from the committee, but is facing delays in final approval along with a number of other Department of Transportation candidates. Senator Rick Scott of R-Fla. said he will retain all Transportation and Commerce candidates until he receives more information from the Biden administration about efforts to fix delays in the US supply chain. A “wait” prevents a motion from moving to the Senate floor and must be passed by 60 votes, which is often a time-consuming process.
under Cliff, NHTSA undertakes to rewrite vehicle fuel economy standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The agency also forced electric vehicle sales leader Tesla Inc. to recall cars to fix touchscreens that remained blank, and launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot partially automated driver assistance system after crashes into parked emergency vehicles.
Cliff On Thursday, Tesla suggested the investigation could take months and declined to say what enforcement measures might be taken. But in a possible warning shot to CEO Elon Musk, Cliff stressed that the agency will not allow security to be lost in the name of innovation. In recent months, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, has criticized Tesla, saying that the “Full Self-Driving” description for its latest driver assistance system is misleading and encouraging. NHTSA take action.
NHTSA It’s investigating a complaint that Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” software nearly caused a crash. The company allows owners to test the software on public roads. And NHTSA He’s investigating why Teslas using the company’s Autopilot system crash into parked emergency vehicles even though the warning lights are flashing.
“I want to make it clear that no vehicle available for purchase today is capable of self-driving. There is nothing in cars today that can replace a fully attentive driver.” Cliff he said, speaking of the agency’s stance on the practice. While future self-driving technology promises a lot to reduce car accidents, he “We can’t give up on security temporarily,” he said.
On Thursday, a message was left from Tesla, which disbanded its media relations department, seeking comment. Tesla has said in the past that neither “Full Self-Driving” nor Autopilot is fully autonomous, and drivers must always be ready to intervene. Musk said in January that he expects the “Full Self-Driving” system to drive more reliably than humans this year.
NHTSAThe company that sets vehicle safety standards, finds safety flaws, manages recalls, and helps improve the government’s fuel economy requirements has not had a confirmed executive since Mark Rosekind left at the end of 2016. Biden To nominate an approved executive so that he or she can begin moving forward on a security agenda.
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Krisher reported from Detroit.
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