President Biden has put the brakes on rules regarding autonomous vehicle safety and the production of low-volume replica cars announced in the last days of the Trump administration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted an update on January 14 on federal motor vehicle safety standards, which include new safety rules for autonomous vehicles designed without steering controls, allowing legal vehicles to be built without a designated “driver’s seat” and its unique safety equipment or any passenger accommodation.
GM’s Cruise division plans to build autonomous taxis without steering wheels, while Florida’s Revology sells brand new versions of the classic Ford Mustangs.
(Cruise / Revology)
On January 19, the agency also finalized rules approved for enactment by a bill signed by President Obama in 2015 that set guidelines for small car manufacturers to produce up to 325 new historic copy vehicles annually that are exempt from the current one. collision test standards. The Association of Special Equipment Markets (SEMA) has filed a lawsuit in 2019 to encourage the long-delayed rules, which are expected to benefit dozens of small carmakers thanks to lower compliance costs.
On Inauguration Day, however, Biden signed an executive order ordering all federal agencies to freeze new regulations and delay the implementation of those recently published in the Federal Registry in order to conduct a further review and new public comment period.
The executive order instructs the agencies to ‘not propose or issue any rule in any way – inter alia by sending a rule to the Federal Registry Office (the’ OFR ‘) – until a chief of the department or agency appointed or appointed by the president after noon. revised on 20 January 2021 and approves the rule. ‘
For rules published in the OFR prior to the order, agencies are asked to postpone their implementation by 60 days to determine whether it raises ‘material questions of fact, legislation or policy’ with the Office of Management. and budget director.
Fox News Autos has learned that both NHSTA announcements have since been removed from the agency’s website and that none of the rules appear in the Federal Registry. NHTSA declined to comment on the changes to Fox News Autos.
Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Motor Safety, who has been critical of the autonomous car regulations, sees an opportunity in their review.
“The Biden government is commended for the freezing of a series of midnight governments that have claimed more focus on progress than promoting a coherent federal policy on self-government, based on the safety of all inside and outside vehicles,” Levine said. . Fox News motors. “We look forward to working with the new leadership at DOT in their efforts to restore” safety “for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including the standardization of advanced driver assistance systems and the effective oversight of a rapidly changing passenger vehicle ecosystem.”
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With regard to the long-delayed law on replica cars, which will make it easier for consumers to buy and register vehicles based on those who are at least 25 years old than the current regulations allow, SEMA’s Director of Federal Government Affairs remains , Stuart Gosswein, optimistic that it will take effect soon.
“SEMA is working to ensure a speedy review process and is confident that the rule will be published in the coming months. Companies want to hire workers and produce replicas for eager customers.”
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Autos.