Legislation is being built right now in Congress that will have a major impact on recalls and roadway safety in the coming years. Both the House and Senate are working on bills that many say are a reaction to the Congressional hearings dealing with the Toyota recalls.
In sum, the measures look to increase the power of the federal government – through the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) – to immediately recall any vehicle on American roads the agency deemed to be unsafe.
Safety features are also being proposed, such as the “black boxes” long requested by car safety advocates and fought against by those concerned about privacy issues connected with the black box data.
This is the first time in ten years that Congress has worked on laws dealing with national auto safety. Let’s see what happens.
