The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is getting ready to announce new auto safety standards for U.S. car manufacturers, according to sources not authorized to speak publicly on the subject. The new guidelines are rumored to tackle common auto safety features designed to reduce auto accident rates, such as brake assist and forward collision warning systems.
While many car owners in Farmington, Utah and around the country already benefit from such systems, these kinds of safety features are often only available to high-end or luxury car owners. New safety standards are sure to recommend this technology be implemented across all car models, but rumors say the standards may be voluntary rather than regulatory in nature.
An announcement of voluntary safety standards could anger consumer advocates and their lawyer representatives who have lobbied for universal safety features. Advocates from Consumer Watchdog and similar organizations have petitioned the NHTSA to legally acquire all automakers from the Midwest to Farmington to equip their vehicles with automated braking and collision warning systems.
While the NHTSA already recommends such auto accident prevention systems, the gap between safety features for the rich and the poor remains an issue. In the eyes of consumer advocacy groups and their lawyer teams, the right to safe driving should not be limited only to those who can afford it.
Driver-assist safety technologies are a real draw for car companies and have been shown to significantly impact sales. In the near future, automakers may incorporate this technology into the rest of their lineups of their own accord—which is exactly what the NHTSA is banking on.
Legal regulations or not, automated safety features are becoming the norm. The sooner carmakers jump on the car safety feature bandwagon, auto accident rates from the East Coast to Farmington can be reduced effectively. However, if automakers are too reluctant to make changes on their own, the NHTSA may be forced to act—or face a lawyer in court.