NHTSA balks on connect car, automatic braking rules

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may have finally stopped dragging its feet over proposed backup camera rules, but the safety agency has missed two more self-imposed deadlines for in-car safety items.

NHTSA administrator David Strickland stated in January of 2013 that the agency would make a decision on whether to require automakers to install car-to-car communications devices by December 31, but the agency has yet to make a ruling on the matter. The NHTSA said in a statement on Thursday that it hopes to make a decision on car-to-car communication rules sometime in the coming weeks.

“The Department of Transportation and NHTSA have made significant progress in determining the best course of action for proceeding with additional vehicle-to-vehicle communication activities and expect to announce a decision in the coming weeks,” the agency said, according to The Detroit News.

The NHTSA has been conducting a 3,000 car study with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor over the last year to determine the benefits of car-to-car communication.

The NHTSA notes that car communication tech could cut down on traffic jams and automobile accidents.

Strickland and the NHTSA also failed to meet a 2013 deadline to rule on whether cars should come fitted with automaktic braking. Available now on certain models, automatic braking – which can slow or stop a vehicle if an imminent crash is detected – has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing the number of injuries and deaths on United States roadways.

“NHTSA believes it has the capabilities — and the responsibilities — to estimate the effectiveness of these crash-avoidance systems, without waiting for years or crash data, in order to make regulatory decisions and save more lives,” Strickland told Congress.

Automakers have opposed the technologies as they could add thousands of dollars to the cost of a new vehicle.