In response to the unintended acceleration issues that plagued Toyota vehicles in 2009-2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a rule to standardize keyless ignition systems across all vehicles.

According to the Detroit News, the proposal would require drivers of vehicles with push button ignitions to turn off the engine if held down for a half second in a panic or emergency situation. Currently, some automakers use three seconds. In addition, the proposal also includes an audible warning to the driver if they try to turn off or leave a vehicle before it is placed in park. According to Automotive News, the proposed rule will cost less than $500,000 a year.

Push-button start technology has grown in recent years and now is offered in over a million vehicles, but the systems vary by manufacturer.

The issues over unintended acceleration came to light in August 2009 when an off-duty California police officer and four others were killed when the accelerator pedal in the Lexus ES he was driving became trapped in the floor mat.

The NHTSA rule is set to be finalized in September 2012 with the mandate to start two years later.

Related:
Unintended acceleration guide
Five key fixes automakers should make now to reduce unintended acceleration