The push to make America’s roads safer has hit another speed bump. Despite its focus on reducing traffic deaths, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has delayed the rollout of new standards tied to five-star safety ratings standards after pressure from automakers.
While manufacturers may be breathing a sigh of relief, the decision is far less encouraging for the public, especially after nearly 40,000 lives were lost on US roads last year.
The updated requirements were set to debut with the 2026 model year, expanding the New Car Assessment Program to include features like blind-spot warning, blind-spot intervention, lane-keeping assist, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. An update to automatic emergency braking standards was also scheduled to take effect in the same timeframe.
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