Auto-safety bill headed to full U.S. House

A U.S. House committee passed an auto-safety bill with a number of changes in the original legislation that the auto industry and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., were looking for.

The new House Energy and Commerce Committee bill, heading to the House floor, requires installation of brake-override systems and event-data recorders, or black boxes, in the wake of Toyota's unintended-acceleration problems.

Regulators also want standards for pedal placement, electronic systems, push-button ignition systems and transmission configuration.

The bill leaves it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to decide on the timetable for automakers to carry out the requirements. The original legislation outlined a time frame that automakers said was burdensome.

The committee dropped a requirement that black boxes record crash data for 75 seconds, leaving it to NHTSA to decide on that.

The legislation also increases maximum fines on automakers for safety defects from $16.4 million to $200 million; the earlier version of the bill eliminated a penalty cap.

NHTSA also would receive more funding, phasing in fees on automakers of $9 per vehicle and doubling federal funding to $280 million over three years.

Michael Stanton, president of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers predicted Congress would pass a bill by fall and send it to President Barack Obama.

The congressional push follows Toyota's 10.6 million-vehicle recall for sudden acceleration. U.S. regulators are investigating reports of 89 deaths. Toyota has paid a record $16.4 million fine.

The Senate introduced a similar bill, but it has one big difference from the House measure: It would eliminate the cap on automaker fines.

The Transportation Department also would have the authority to order recalls, but the agency would have to give notice to the manufacturer and offer the automaker the right to appeal.

By null