Motor Vehicle Safety Act Dies With Lame Duck Congress

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

The lame duck congress has adjourned for the year, and with it goes the effort to pass a suite of new auto safety regulations drafted as a reaction to the Toyota recall scandal of early 2010. Different versions of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act passed House and Senate committees earlier this year, but were attacked by industry groups and Republican lawmakers. When Republicans came out ahead in November’s midterm election, it was widely speculated that the MVSA might be one of the legislative casualties. Sure enough, the Detroit News reports that

Despite a late push in recent weeks by congressional aides and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, supporters couldn’t overcome opposition to the massive billOf course, the fact that fatalities per Vehicle Mile Traveled on American roads are at their lowest level in history didn’t help. Nor did the fact that the hearings which gave birth to the MVSA were an embarrassment of a mockery of a sham. Nor did the fact that most automakers were already reacting to Toyota’s PR nightmare by making many of the more moderate reforms proposed by the bill. Not that any of that is stopping Rockefeller from trying again: he tells the DetN that he’ll take another shot at passing the MVSA when congress re-convenes.
Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments
Join the conversation
8 of 27 comments
  • Dan Dan on Dec 23, 2010

    "... he tells the DetN that he’ll take another shot at passing the MVSA when congress re-convenes." That's the most depressing thing I've read all night. When we lose one it's a freedom gone. New permission slips to fill out, new hands in my wallet, new decisions made for me, new toys I can't have anymore. When they lose one, like they did today, they don't lose a thing. The leash remains just as short as it was yesterday. Tomorrow is a new day to try again.

    • See 1 previous
    • Windswords Windswords on Dec 23, 2010

      "Minimum IQ test for a driver’s license isn’t a bad idea either but I guess were getting back into gov’t regulation with that thought." I'm ok with that as long as it's the local/state government. Yeah, they do stupid things too, but you have a lot more control and say on what goes on, than if it comes from a central government hundreds or thousands of miles away.

  • Windswords Windswords on Dec 23, 2010

    It would help if I knew what was in the bill. Oh yea, I know some things, like the "black box" requirement. But I want to to know what's in the whole bill, all the added pork and "gotcha's" that these congress critters like to throw in there. Then I can judge whether it's good or bad it didn't pass. Until then I will fall back on my default that it's good if a bill doesn't pass and even better if Congress is not in session.

  • Carve Carve on Dec 23, 2010

    I'm for all safety features that don't infringe on the privacy and liberty of the driver (well, except for breathalizers, which are for known offenders only) Car wrecks are still the number one cause of death for people under 35. We still have a long ways to go, although yes- the lowest hanging fruit has been picked already. I think there's a lot of room left still in ways to prevent accidents, rather than just survive them. ABS & ESC is a huge leap in safety- particularly for the average person who knows nothing about at-the-limit handling, and even for those of us good at handling cars who are caught by surprise or in bad conditions. (Just look at how many idiots out there don't know how to put their car in neutral!) Accident avoidence systems like Volvo is starting to offer is another great thing, as is electronic brake force distribution and max-braking when the pedal is applied quickly. Active handling features, like torque-vectoring diffs & active suspension may also offer future safety enhancements.

  • Fincar1 Fincar1 on Dec 23, 2010

    It becomes more and more obvious that the main problem with this country is that we have Too Much Government. The reason why this is the case becomes apparent when one reads people in this thread pushing for yet more government, yet more regulations.

    • See 1 previous
    • Golden2husky Golden2husky on Dec 23, 2010
      The reason why this is the case becomes apparent when one reads people in this thread pushing for yet more government, yet more regulations. Sometimes the free market is the best way, sometimes it is not. There isn't a chance in hell that today's vehicles would be as clean, safe, or fuel efficient if it was not for regulation. Manufacturers fought virtually every thing that has made today's cars as good as they are. Obviously regulation is not the answer for everything, and sometimes there is a push to over-regulate. Good government is about striking that balance - choosing what is needed to balance the need of the many without overly penalizing the few. Spock was right when he said the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one...
Next