#dot

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a new enhanced safety initiative in collaboration with 18 of the world’s major automakers. 

The U.S. Government has pledged to offer around $3.9 billion over the next 10 years to help get self-driving cars into the hands of American consumers. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation is keeping a close eye on driver privacy as more automakers begin developing wireless connectivity in vehicles.

Consumer groups have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for its delay in making backup cameras mandatory by law in new vehicles.

To kick off Child Passenger Safety Week, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has teamed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Safe Kids to address common mistakes parents make when using car seats and booster seats.

Ray LaHood is all about stopping distracted driving, and has recently teamed up with Fox’s hit television show Glee on some promotional videos aimed at young drivers to “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.”

Referring to distracted driving as an “epidemic,” transportation secretary Ray LaHood has been the Obama administration’s  boisterous champion of fighting the dangerous practice, most recently releasing a plan to combat cell phone use behind the wheel.

The United States Department of Transportation just released data suggesting an overwhelming majority of drivers who experience connected vehicle technology respond to it favorably and perceive it as an important safety measure.

With all the attention surrounding distracted driving these days, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) wanted to remind the world that one of the most basic driving rules is being neglected, causing twice as many crashes as distracted driving.

Black boxes in cars? We’ve reported on it before, but a bill requiring such devices has recently passed the U.S. Senate and is expected to fare the same in the House. 

If it goes all the way, cars built after 2015 will all have tattlers to give specific information on a car’s activity. If implemented, the devices are meant to be used by emergency responders during an accident, but the applications are far from limited to those incidents.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the first-ever federally proposed guidelines for in-vehicle electronic devices to automakers, hoping to limit how distracted drivers can get by these new devices.

The United States Department of Transportation has proposed a plan to require all light-duty vehicles to be equipped with data-recording black boxes. The 197-page proposed document was released yesterday by the White House.

An updated U.S fuel economy label was unveiled today aimed at reducing gasoline consumption and exhaust emissions. These new stickers will be required on all 2013 models, allowing consumers to quickly glance at fuel consumption.

The sticker will also display estimates of fuel or electricity required to drive 100 miles as well as time needed to charge a plug-in vehicle such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), says the reason for the redesigned labels is to give consumers, “the best possible information about which cars on the lot offer the greatest fuel economy and the best environmental performance.” The EPA developed the updated labels with assistance from the Department of Transportation.

Check out the video after the jump!

The United States Department of Transportation reported that 2010 was a record low for traffic fatalities, besting the previous record of 2009. While that year saw 33,808 deaths, 2010 saw a drop to 32,708.

Both the DOT and NHTSA credit public awareness campaigns and stricter law enforcement, with programs against impaired driving, distracted driving and even pro-seatbelt campaigns being lauded. Undoubtedly, safer vehicles and improved safety systems can also share some of the glory, but either way, we are pleased to see the statistic falling and hope that its a continuing trend in the future.

[Source: NHTSA]

An investigation by NASA has cleared Toyota‘s electronics systems of causing the unintended acceleration phenomenon that was widely reported in 2010.