Behind the wheel: What the Motor Vehicle Safety Act means to consumers

Jul 21, 2010 12:57 PM

Over the past year, the issues of unintended acceleration got our attention focused on ways to fix our auto safety net. The issue got Congress' attention, too. Congress has since developed a proposal to improve how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulates automobile safety, considering input from auto industry, consumer groups, and regulators. Legislation called "The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010" has been introduced in both chambers, and it has been considered by the appropriate committees.

Neither chamber has yet been able to take a final vote on passage of the bill, which would need to happen before the bill could become law. But today, a number of people are speaking out to urge the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Consumers Union joined members of the House, representatives of other auto safety organizations, and alleged victims of the Toyota sudden unintended acceleration events to support passage of this important consumer safety legislation. (See our guide to unintended acceleration.)

Dignitaries on hand for the 1 p.m. EST press conference today include:

U.S. Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chair, Energy and Commerce Committee
U.S. Representative Bruce L. Braley (D-IA) Vice Chair, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
U.S. Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI)
Ami Gadhia, Policy Counsel, Consumers Union
Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety
Joan Claybrook, Former NHTSA Administrator and President Emeritus, Public Citizen
Jackie Gillan, Vice President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

How The Motor Vehicle Safety Act can improve safety
The Motor Vehicle Safety Act would help strengthen NHTSA's ability to address and avert safety problems in the future. It would bolster NHTSA's resources, authorities, and expertise. Increasing funds for NHTSA will provide the agency better tools to do its work. The bill would also require NHTSA to address four areas that Consumers Union recommended for improvement in light of the Toyota sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) issues.

In February 2010, in light of the concerns raised by SUA in Toyotas, Consumers Union called on NHTSA to require four specific safety changes in all new cars:

Brake override or similar technology to safely stop a car within a safe distance, no matter what circumstances.
Simple, standard controls to turn off the engine in an emergency.
Intuitive, clearly labeled transmission shifters.
Methods to address pedal entrapment.

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act directs NHTSA to make all of these safety improvements.

The bill would also make long-overdue improvements to NHTSA's vehicle safety complaint database, require the issuance of safety standards for electronic controls, protect whistleblowers, put in place stronger ethics rules, increase the penalties the agency can levy against wrongdoers, and increase corporate responsibility for the accuracy of information reported to NHTSA.

At Consumers Union there are few issues as important to us as auto safety. We believe the Motor Vehicle Safety Act will make some critical changes to help improve the strength of our auto safety net, and it will ultimately help save lives.

Read how Consumers Union feels the automotive safety net could be improved.

—Ami Gadhia