Apr 01 Reversing a Trump move, new vehicles must average 40 mpg by 2026 By Tom Krisher, Associated Press President Donald Trump's administration rolled back fuel economy requirements so they rose 1.5% per year, which environmental groups said was inadequate to limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. Continue reading
Sep 20 23 states sue Trump to keep California’s stricter auto emission rules By Adam Beam, Associated Press National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has blocked California from setting its own rules for how much pollution can come from cars and trucks. Continue reading
Apr 08 Experts caution self-driving cars not ready for roads By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Self-driving cars are more likely to hurt than help public safety because of unsolved technical issues, engineers and safety advocates told the government Friday, countering a push by innovators to speed government approval. Continue reading
Mar 18 Automakers agree to put automatic braking in cars by 2022 By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Automatic braking will be standard in most cars and light trucks within six years and on heavier SUVs and pickup trucks within eight years under an agreement that transportation officials and automakers announced on Thursday. Continue reading
Mar 08 Early data suggests pedestrian deaths surged in 2015 By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Pedestrian deaths surged by an estimated 10 percent last year as the economy improved, the price of gas plunged and motorists put more miles behind the wheel than ever before, according to an analysis of preliminary state traffic… Continue reading
Mar 01 Hyundai recalls 200k cars due to power steering defects By Triana Kalmanoff Hyundai is recalling nearly 205,000 Elantra cars in the United States due to a potential defect in the vehicles' power steering systems, according to a report released late Saturday on the National Highway Safety Administration's website. Continue reading
Jan 31 More than 2M vehicles recalled in latest case of faulty air bags By Associated Press More than 2 million Toyota, Chrysler and Honda vehicles are being recalled for faulty air bags that may inflate while the car is running. Continue reading
Oct 21 Are you driving a car with dangerous airbags? By Laura Santhanam The U.S. government recently issued an immediate recall for more than 4.7 million vehicles that were installed with defective airbags. However, the consumer website that lists vehicle identification numbers included in the recall did not appear to be working on… Continue reading
Sep 16 Safety agency mishandled GM recall, House panel says By Joan Lowy, Tom Krishner, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A House committee has determined that the government's auto safety agency should have discovered General Motors' faulty ignition switches seven years before the company recalled 2.6 million cars to fix the deadly problem. Continue reading
Sep 10 Texting while driving? Long Island DA wants to disable your phone By Corinne Segal In Long Island, drivers hooked on their phones could soon see new penalties for distracted driving. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice has proposed the use of a “kill switch” to disable the phone of someone who has been convicted… Continue reading