House Democrats seek review of delayed U.S. auto safety rules

WASHINGTON — Three senior Democrats in the U.S. Residence of Reps on Wednesday questioned govt auditors to examine why U.S. auto protection regulators have unsuccessful to write dozens of new auto protection polices.

The delayed guidelines include rear belt warnings, revisions to automobile defect reporting specifications, kid restraint facet impression exams, specifications for automakers to e-mail recall notices and provisions that make it less complicated to install kid protection seats. A lot of of the guidelines have been delayed by extra than 4 years.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, who chairs the Power and Commerce Committee, alongside with U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Lisa Blunt Rochester, questioned the Government Accountability Business office to examine the NHTSA investigation and rulemaking method “to identify aspects contributing to delays.”

Beneath President Donald Trump, NHTSA has never ever had a Senate-confirmed administrator — the first time in record the agency has gone so extensive without having a long lasting head. It has been extra than a year considering the fact that the White Residence had a nominee pending.

In 2012 and 2015, Congress directed NHTSA to apply a lot of protection mandates but lawmakers mentioned “NHTSA has unsuccessful to apply virtually twenty congressionally mandated rulemakings, reports, and investigation initiatives by their statutory deadlines.”

A NHTSA spokesman did not instantly remark, but lawmakers mentioned the agency explained to them it “initiates a rulemaking when it has adequate info to do so.”

NHTSA has traditionally struggled to meet up with congressional deadlines to write new automobile protection polices and full other reports.

In August, the Transportation Department’s Business office of Inspector General mentioned it would audit oversight of U.S. automobile protection standards by NHTSA.

Jason Levine, government director of the Middle for Auto Protection, mentioned NHTSA has “actively selected to ignore the will of Congress for years when it will come to implementing protection regulations, costing life and funds.”