WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today introduced the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2014 to give the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enhanced capabilities and increased resources that will enable the agency to better protect the driving public. Rockefeller is taking action after a series of tragic deaths resulted from faulty ignition switches in GM vehicles, and a wave of recent recalls from various automakers, which have highlighted gaps in the agency’s ability to meet its mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing crashes on roads.

Rockefeller’s legislation is similar to H.R. 4364, the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2014, introduced in April 2014 by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA). 

“If NHTSA doesn’t have the resources or capabilities to protect the driving public and fulfill its mission, then Congress must step in and give this agency what it needs to meet these critically important goals,” Rockefeller said. “For the past 15 years many of us have attempted to bolster NHTSA’s authority, precisely to better prevent tragedies like the deaths caused by GM’s faulty ignition switches. While we’ve made some progress, ultimately we’ve been blocked from fully providing NHTSA with the adequate resources and authorities it needs. Everything we’ve learned in the past months through our Committee investigation into GM has made it absolutely clear that it’s time to put our differences aside. We’ve got to act now and support NHTSA if we’re going to minimize the chances of another heartbreaking tragedy.”

Rockefeller has long been a leading voice for increased safety for the driving public, and has been at the forefront of fighting to expand funding and tools for NHTSA. Recently, the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance held a hearing titled, “Examining the GM Recall and NHTSA’s Defect Investigation Process.” In a statement, Rockefeller again called on Congress to provide more support for NHTSA. 

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2014 aims to enhance NHTSA’s ability to carry out important safety programs and hold auto manufacturers and dealers accountable for the safety of their vehicles. Specifically, Rockefeller’s legislation:

• Gives NHTSA greater safety authority, including the authority to remove dangerous vehicles from the road and raise caps on civil penalties for safety violations;
• Increases funding for NHTSA’s chronically underfunded vehicle safety programs by authorizing appropriations for NHTSA and imposing a vehicle safety user fee on auto manufacturers;
• Prohibits car dealers from selling used vehicles with known pending safety recalls without fixing the defect or making the consumer aware of the defect; and
• Promotes greater transparency at NHTSA by requiring public availability of early warning data, improving consumer access to the vehicle safety database, and limiting the revolving door between NHTSA and the auto industry. 

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