Free Republic

Video at source. A proposed federal rule that would require black boxes or event data recorders (EDRs) in every U.S. automobile may mean “Big Brother” could be in your passenger seat for every drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule requires all light passenger vehicles be equipped with an EDR by Sep.1, 2014. Ninety-six percent of new cars already have them - measuring such inputs as speed, lateral acceleration, pedal effort, seat belt use, wheel spin, steering wheel turn and direction. Black box data retrieved from U.S. car accidents in a single day would provide more information than a...

Fuel economy standards for the year 2025 have now been set, as the government released the finalized CAFE regulations, in a massive tome totaling 1,994 pages in PDF form The full document is available here. I’d be lying if I said I had come anywhere close to completing it…think of the longest novel you’ve ever read and extract all the amazing prose, gripping scenes and moving themes, and that’s basically the CAFE regulation, with another 1,000 pages thrown on top of that. Anyone who has taken a peak is more than welcome to comment. In the mean time, I’ll be...

Nissan is refusing to honor and repair my 2004 Nissan Titan, the recall was by the NHTSA, due to a electrical safety violation, Nissan says that the safety recall campaign has ended, and they will not be responsible for my truck or any other 2004 Nissan Titans on the road today, which means that the passenger side airbag will not deploy in case of an accident.

The Department of Transportation and NHTSA have announced that a "technical symposium" will be held on May 18th "to discuss safety considerations for electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries." In addition to NHTSA's presentations, the Department of Energy, automotive manufacturers and battery makers will participate. Given the bias of the participants, the symposium sounds like it is going to be less informational and more infomercial. The press release for the gathering states, "Electric vehicles show great promise as an innovative and fuel-efficient option for American drivers. Significant research and other activities related to the safety of these vehicles are...

Hasty feds accelerate new rules to combat imaginary problemThe Obama administration is so committed to redesigning the automobile that it’s taking over the way the gas and brake pedals are made to protect Americans from a nonexistent threat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Monday formally proposed that all new cars have a “brake-throttle override” system installed to prevent unintended acceleration. Few issues have attracted media hype like the mysterious reports that automobiles rocketed away of their own accord while drivers futilely held their feet firmly on the brake pedal. Given the sensational headlines, it’s no surprise that...

General Motors' CEO, Dan Akerson, is scheduled to testify at congressional hearings on the NHTSA delay in reporting Chevy Volt fires. GM and the government agency waited about five months to report an incident involving a Volt which erupted in flames weeks after a crash-test. Up to this point, Akerson has not exactly been honest about the Volt; can we now expect him to come clean? A culture of deceit has been evident at GM since the Obama Administration orchestrated a manipulated bankruptcy process that favored the politically powerful UAW over other classes. It was during the time of...

U.S. safety regulators said Friday that they've closed an eight-week investigation into the Chevrolet Volt, concluding that the plug-in hybrid's battery doesn't pose a significant fire risk following a crash. In a statement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it "does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles." The agency said that modifications intended to reinforce the Volt's 435-pound lithium-ion battery pack that General Motors announced on Jan. 5 should "reduce the potential" of the pack catching fire in the days or weeks following a crash.