Ray Lahood
7 months later, Jeep 'trailer hitch' recall still stalled
For the past few years, Chrysler and its CEO, Sergio Marchionne, have gone head-to-head with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its boss, David Strickland, over the government safety agency's request for Chrysler t
Anthony Foxx is your new Secretary of Transportation, America
Attention, American public: Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, seen above with his wife and children, has now officially been sworn in as your new Secretary of Transportation. Not that it comes as a surprise, of course, being that Foxx had been nominated by President Obama a few months ago.
NHTSA may test recalled Jeep to see if trailer hitch fix works
Despite the fact that Chrysler and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have compromised on last month's heated recall situation
Anthony Foxx nominated by Obama to be next Transportation Secretary [w/video]
Anthony Foxx, labeled by President Obama as "one of the most effective mayors Charlotte [North Carolina] has ever seen," has been nominated by the President to be the next Secretary of Transportation. Foxx would take over for Ray LaHood, who announced that he would be stepping down a few month
NHTSA releases voluntary guidelines to combat distracted driving
In its continuing battle against distracted driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued voluntary guidelines covering the use of in-car infotainment and communication devices. It is NHTSA's intention that the proposals, which have been in the works for a year and are partly based on a 2010 study called "Impact of Hand-Held and Hands-Free Cell Phone Use on Driving Performance and Safety Critical Event Risk," will be phas
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stepping down
US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced that he will not serve a second term in President Obama's Cabinet, but will stay on until a successor is confirmed. Of his and the Department of Transportation's many initiatives, the one LaHood will perhaps be remembered for most is his efforts to reduce distracted driving, particularly the dangers of texting while driving. Secretary LaHood even John Neff
Move to mandate rearview cameras could boost car prices by $200
It looks like we don't have much longer to wait to find out if rearview cameras will become the next safety device to become standard on new cars. Ray LaHood and the US Department of Transportation could put this legislation to the vote by the end of the month to require all new vehicles in 2014 to be equipped with cameras in an effort to make cars safer. Jeffrey N. Ross
Transportation Dept. gives $550k to study texting-ban enforcement
So far, 39 states have some form of law against texting while driving, but it is a hard thing to enforce. Many drivers continue to text on the road, confident that the local smokies won't spot their sins.
New CAFE rules officially finalized; 54.5 mpg is like making gas $1/gallon cheaper
Increasing the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for model year 2017-2025 vehicles to 54.5 miles per gallon was first proposed in July 2011. Since then, there has been a lot of back and forth, a lot of positive and Sebastian Blanco
House Republicans urge White House to delay 2017-2025 fuel economy standards
Representatives from the Republican Party have asked President Obama to delay pushing through strict new automotive fuel economy regulations. The trio of top GOP legislators consists of auto dealer Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, Jim Jordan (also of PA) and House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa of California (pictured). The three legislators are calling for further
Distracted driving scourge a repeat of 1930?
The more things change, the more they stay the same. According to a report at carinsurance.com, Department of Transportation chief Ray LaHood isn't the first person to take on distracted driving.
DOT releases Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving
Everyone needs a plan, and now Ray LaHood and his people at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have released their Blueprint for Ending Distracted Driving.
Gov't unsure on who can establish distracted driving laws
Turns out the federal government's attempts to create enforceable oversight of cellphone use in vehicles has hit a Swiftian snag: it seems there isn't a government agency specifically empowered with the authority to do so. The legislative boundaries of the Federal Communications Commission end at the phone itself, those of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration end at the vehicle itself. Neither is equipped to address how people combine the
NHTSA wants Brake-Throttle Override systems added to official Safety Standards
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced plans to update the agency's current vehicle safety standards. In order to protect drivers in the event they depress both the accelerator and the brake pedal at the same time, automakers will be required to install a bake-throttle override on new vehicles moving forward. The hope is that the systems will curb instances of unintended accelerati
DOT proposes distracted driving guidelines for automakers
Distracted driving is a topic that's on everybody's minds these days, and for good reason. Every new car and truck sold today is packed with more technology than every before, from touchscreen LCDs that offer myriad audio and infotainment options to voice-controlled applications and various forms of smartphone integration.
DOT's LaHood defends tax credit for plug-in vehicles
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said tax incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been an effective way of boosting consumer interest in cars like the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in and the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle, even though the two models had weaker sales than expected, Reuters reported.
NHTSA says White House didn't factor in Chevy Volt fire disclosure
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed the Obama administration didn't ask the government agency to delay announcing potential safety issues with the Chevrolet Volt. According to The Detroit News, Transportation Secretary Zach Bowman
Even LaHood thinks the NTSB mobile electronics ban is flawed [w/poll]
When Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood thinks a ban on drivers using electronic devices is a flawed, you know it's a bad idea. But that's exactly what the Good Secretary told David Shepardson of the Detroit News during a recent interview.
Fed nixes costly mandatory street sign replacement program
If your nearest stop sign is looking a little worse for the wear, you should reach out and let your local government know. Up until recently, that sign was one of the hundreds of thousands that were set to be replaced by 2018, according to a mandate formerly on the books. Now, however, the Obama administration is getting rid of that rule so that local governments can decide if and when a sign needs to replaced.