U.S. auto safety agency plans new push against speeding

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top of Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) mentioned on Wednesday the company plans a brand new push to persuade Individuals to cease rushing, hoping to cut back visitors deaths which have risen sharply lately.

“We now have a brand new velocity marketing campaign that is going to be kicking off in a few weeks,” NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff instructed Reuters Wednesday in a wide-ranging interview.

Cliff, the highest auto security regulator and a former California air official, has been operating NHTSA on an performing foundation since early 2021, and was confirmed by the Senate in Might.

U.S. visitors deaths have surged since 2020. Extra drivers have engaged in unsafe driving and visitors knowledge indicated common speeds elevated throughout COVID lockdowns, NHTSA says.

Cliff needs rushing to “be as undesirable and seen as negatively as different forms of dangerous” driving habits.

In 2020, the variety of speeding-related visitors deaths elevated by 17% to 11,258, whereas general visitors deaths rose 7.2%. In 2021, U.S. visitors deaths jumped 10.5% to 42,915, the best annual quantity killed on American roads in a since 2005.

Cliff mentioned NHTSA is transferring aggressively to get new laws out and “kicking off a number of rulemakings associated to automation.” Since January 2021, the company has finalized 16 guidelines and begun work on 25 new guidelines.

On different points:

Cliff mentioned he expects to publish “very quickly” a proper discover of receipt of the petition that Normal Motors and its self-driving unit Cruise filed in February for permission to deploy self-driving automobiles with out human controls like steering wheels. This may launch a public remark interval.

* Cliff needs to finish the company’s investigation into Tesla’s superior driver help system Autopilot “as rapidly as we probably can however I additionally need to get it proper. There’s a number of info that we have to comb by means of.”

* NHTSA is holding talks with automakers and security advocates a few potential demonstration program for autonomous automobiles. “Finally I see that resulting in some kind of demonstration program that may assist us higher perceive how security could be evaluated in figuring out whether or not it is applicable to drag a human driver from the car itself in widespread deployment,” Cliff mentioned.

* Cliff acknowledged automakers may face sizeable penalties for not assembly gasoline financial system necessities after NHTSA finalized larger fines in March. He famous there are discussions on Capitol Hill about utilizing the penalties as grants for growing cleaner expertise.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Modifying by David Gregorio)