Ever since the microscope of media coverage has been on the recall of Toyota products, both Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have shared the hot seat.
Analysts and members of Congress have criticized NHTSA on its handling of the case and with some justification. They have complained that the government agency acted too slowly and may have given Toyota too many breaks.
David Strickland, administrator of NHTSA, said that the agency receives more than 30,000 complaints a year but only has a staff of 57 people to investigate. And the Transportation Department, which has jurisdiction over NHTSA, claims that it has done a good job policing the auto industry. It said that it sent safety officials to Japan late last year to urge Toyota to take safety concerns seriously.
Congress is now considering the most radical reforms in NHTSA since the TREAD Act, which was passed in 2000. Measures that might appear include the requirement of a brake override system on all vehicles, raising penalties on automakers who fail to recall defective vehicles in a timely manner, requiring manufacturers to provide devices to dealers that can read electronic data recorders or black boxes.
The agency may also get more funding. The White House has recommended that NHTSA hire 66 people for this purpose in the 2011 budget. Already many in Congress question if NHTSA has enough skilled engineers who understand the new electronics on today’s vehicles.
via Detroit News
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