"Recent Toyota recalls showed an urgent need to update safety standards to reflect modern vehicle technology and give auto safety regulators the stronger tools and resources they need to protect the public," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Rockefeller, the bill's lead author was quoted as saying by AFP.
The bill, already known as the Rockefeller bill, calls for the removal of the cap on civil penalties for carmakers that deliberately fail to report vehicle safety defects to the NHTSA. According to the source, per-vehicle civil penalties are to be raised from $5,000 to $25,000.
"Right now, NHTSA can fine car makers who violate the rules only up to 16.4 million dollars, and for multi-billion dollar car companies, that's like paying a parking ticket," Rockefeller said.
The NHTSA will also be mandated to design rules for pedal placement to limit confusion between brake and accelerator. The implementation of the already talked-about black boxes for cars are also included in the bill.
The NHTSA will also be able to stop the sale of a vehicle should a defect in it "create an imminent hazard that could lead to deaths and serious injuries." In addition, a carmaker would be forced to certify in writing that all information their company provides to NHTSA is accurate and complete, otherwise facing civil or criminal penalties.
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