On Wednesday, Sec. Duffy received a letter from Shopper Studies with comparable issues. “[DOT] companies—staffed by professional public servants who’re properly geared up to hold out the Division’s training, analysis, requirements, and enforcement actions—have to be sufficiently resourced if they’re to assist drive the progress that American shoppers rightly anticipate to see sooner or later,” Shopper Studies wrote.

The buyer advocacy group has been doing its personal testing of rising automotive applied sciences for some years now and shared with Duffy the significance of standing agency in opposition to business makes an attempt to “weaken or delay” a rule that might mandate automatic emergency braking. Shopper Studies additionally highlighted the significance of guaranteeing pedestrian security; testing ADAS, partially automated driving methods, and autonomous autos for security; and implementing strict gas economic system requirements as all essential in defending shoppers.

“DOT has the prospect to shut security gaps and be certain that technological advances translate into real-world advantages for shoppers–and it should not go up this chance,” Shopper Studies wrote.

“Secretary Duffy’s coronary heart goes out to the victims’ households, and he takes their issues severely,” a NHTSA spokesperson mentioned in a press release despatched to Ars. “Because the Secretary made clear throughout his affirmation listening to, he’s dedicated to permitting NHTSA’s investigators to observe the proof and function objectively. Our precedence is security, and the company will proceed to implement the regulation on all producers of motor autos and tools in accordance with the Car Security Act and the company’s data-driven, risk-based investigative course of.”