NHTSA

The EPA has finalized its new vehicle emissions regulations, completing the Trump Administration's long-sought overturning of Obama-era green standards for fuel economy. Dubbed the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, the new standard slashes the requirements of CAFE and CO2 emissions to improve from around 5-percent each year under the old system, to 1.5-percent each year through model year 2026.

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The NTSB has slammed Tesla for failing to respond to Autopilot safety concerns, as well as criticizing the NHTSA for insufficiently investigating crashes involving the electric cars. While many industry-watchers had expected the National Transportation Safety Board to take a pessimistic stance on advanced driver assistance technologies at its hearing today, the extent of the board's criticisms came as a surprise.

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US regulators have granted the first self-driving vehicle exemption, allowing the Nuro R2 to drive autonomously on public streets, though don't expect to catch a ride in one yourself. The R2 is SoftBank Group-backed Nuro's driverless delivery vehicle, which the startup hopes will give grocery stores, restaurants, and other retailers a human-free option for shuttling products to buyers.

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US driving safety regulators is considering an investigation into claims of unexpected acceleration in Tesla's EVs, the NHTSA has confirmed, after owners complained that their electric cars could suddenly speed up. Although the petition covers reports from 123 different cars, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that it could affect 500,000 vehicles in total.

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What manual controls should be present in autonomous vehicles, how they should be tested as road-worthy, and just how advanced the current state-of-the-art is are all points of controversy, as US road safety regulators mull feedback on what might be holding back driverless technologies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) threw down the gauntlet to skeptics, enthusiasts, and everyone in-between to comment on the challenges of control-free autonomous car regulations, and as you might expect the responses were spirited.

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Cameras that replace car side mirrors with a high-tech - and more aerodynamic - alternative will go into safety testing by US road regulators, potentially bringing legislation currently blocking the high-tech upgrade in line with what's permitted internationally. Several automakers already offer vehicles with cameras in the place of traditional glass mirrors, but current laws prevent their use in the US.

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US road safety regulators plan to put advanced driver assistance tech to the test, in particular examining how Level 2 systems like Tesla's Autopilot transfer back responsibilities behind the wheel. Although once the preserve of expensive luxury cars, the combination of adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance is increasingly accessible on mass-market models.

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Transdev North America has angered the US DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by transporting kids in a self-driving shuttle. Though the company did get temporary permission to import its autonomous shuttle, neither of the approved reasons included transporting kids, according to the agency. The activity has been called 'irresponsible.'

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Next-generation autonomous car testing could accelerate in the US, with safety regulators weighing new versions of rules that would allow automakers to do away with human safety drivers and traditional controls. The proposed changes came as the NHTSA announced a pilot program for driverless vehicles, which will aim to make testing rules consistent across the country.

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What do you look for in a new or used car? Do you consider the styling, comfort, features, and engine horsepower? Whether buying or leasing a vehicle, the car safety ratings should be your top priority. Nothing beats the feeling of driving a ‘safe’ vehicle. The car safety ratings will mean the difference between life and death in the event of an accident. The sad truth is that not all cars are made equal. There are some that were engineered with the driver and passenger’s safety in mind, and there are some that gets a low grade in terms of crash safety.

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The EPA plans to roll back the Obama Administration's standards on car emissions, setting the auto industry - and the Trump government - on a collision course with California. Describing the previous standards as having been made "with politically charged expediency," US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt argued that the emissions limits were "too high."

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Ford may be forced to add more than a million vehicles to a previous safety recall, after reports that several more models - including the best-selling F-150 truck - could be impacted. The 2016 recall affected 153,000 vehicles at the time, spanning trucks and SUVs from the F-150, Expedition, and Navigator, to the Mustang, from the 2011 and 2012 model years.

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