TO THE EDITOR:
NHTSA is stepping it up, and not just with increasing defects investigations, such as the probe into Tesla Autopilot (“Tesla Autopilot driver-assist probe by NHTSA upgraded, grows to 830,000 vehicles,” autonews.com, June 9).
For the first time since January 2017, NHTSA has an administrator. Steven Cliff was approved by the Senate last month to lead the agency and is taking on overdue safety regulations, such as rear seat belt reminders.
Also moving forward are the New Car Assessment Program revisions. The main intent is to add collision-avoidance innovations next to the crash protection ratings.
With over 16,000 comments submitted to the latest Federal Register docket about updates to NCAP, of which over 4,000 have been posted, this is proving to be a very important issue. And according to statements from NHTSA, the revisions will be finished before this year is over.
The question is whether NHTSA will favor the automotive industry, which wants to update the existing 5-Star rating system with the addition of half-stars, or the leadership of NCAP, which favors 10-Star speed safety ratings.
DAVID DeVEAU, Owner/lead industrial design engineer, DeVco Design & Development, Westfield, Mass. The writer is an independent transportation safety advocate. DeVco Design & Development is an engineering consultancy.