Department of Transportation

Back in March, Donald Trump authorized a review of current U.S. emissions regulations. Those regulations cover vehicles through the 2025 model year and were hastily finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency in the days leading up to Trump's inauguration. The review alarmed environmental...Read More»

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications promises to be a very big deal. Allowing automobiles to "talk" to one another could dramatically improve traffic flow and slash the number of car crashes by more than half. Working hand-in-hand with self-driving systems, the benefits could be even bigger. Engineers...Read More»

No matter what some politicians say, America is already great at many things--for example, fostering innovation, generating game-changing technology, and finding new uses for Twinkies. However, that's not to say that we don't have room for improvement in areas like energy efficiency, education, and...Read More»

The figures aren't yet official, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's early estimates suggest that 35,200 motorists, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians died on U.S. roads in 2015--an increase of 7.7 percent over 2014. That's a remarkable uptick. In fact, the last time the...Read More»

It's nearly official: 2015 was likely the busiest year ever for automotive travel in the U.S. According to the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, data from the end of November put America well within range of record territory. During the first 11 months of 2015, U.S...Read More»

If you're one of the many folks who's criticized federal agencies for being behind the times on auto issues, we've got good news. The feds have heard you, and they've got a three-point plan to bring themselves -- and automakers -- up speed. SLOW ROLLERS For a while, it seemed as if there wasn't...Read More»

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversees a long, thorough process for recalling flawed vehicles. It collects complaints, launches investigations, and formally requests recalls from automakers. One thing NHTSA can't do, though, is halt sales of poorly or improperly manufactured...Read More»

If you like statistics and factoids, you're going to love the ones that the U.S. Department of Transportation has uncovered regarding American drivers. They're being used as part of something called Beyond Traffic (PDF) -- a strategic plan that makes projections about transportation in the year...Read More»

Last summer, we told you about the Department of Transportation's plan to develop a website that would allow motorists to see if their ride had been recalled simply by typing in their vehicle identification number, or VIN. As of today, that website is officially up and running. Maintained by the...Read More»

Senior officials from the Department of Transportation held a press conference yesterday in Washington, D.C., and the news they shared wasn't much comfort to parents and guardians of small children. According to Detroit News, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and David Friedman, Acting...Read More»

In early April, a federal judge heard from plaintiffs who wanted General Motors to tell owners of 2.59 million vehicles affected by the "Switchgate" recall to park those cars until they were fully repaired. Several days later, the judge ruled that GM didn't need to do any such thing. In her...Read More»

Federal officials have a slew of new auto regulations in the works, including backup cameras, data recorders, and -- further down the line -- autonomous car standards. But the Department of Transportation's most controversial new rule might not involve passenger cars at all. According to the...Read More»

In 2008, the U.S. Congress passed the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act (PDF), which, among other things, required that all new cars sold in the U.S. come equipped with devices to enhance rear visibility. According to the terms of the bill, the Department of Transportation had until...Read More»

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems will make automotive travel dramatically safer and more efficient. So, what's the big holdup? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has yet to determine when V2V will be required on new passenger vehicles. At long last, however, the...Read More»

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has completed its analysis of traffic data from last year, and the findings are astonishing. In 2011, fewer people died on U.S. roads than at any time since 1949. Even better: once you factor in the amount of time drivers spent behind the wheel...Read More»

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its 2013 "Most Wanted List". But unlike the FBI photocopies pinned up at post offices, the NTSB isn't looking for criminals: the agency wants improvements to make U.S. transportation safer. In a press release, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman...Read More»

In most of America, it's illegal to text and drive. Today, 39 states and the District of Columbia now have laws on the books forbidding the practice. Chances are, you live in one of them. The problem for police officers is that such laws can be difficult to enforce. Even though texting constitutes...Read More»

After a long, grueling slog through both houses of Congress, the highly anticipated, two-year surface transportation bill has finally passed. But now that it's been hacked to shreds by the House and the Senate, then stitched back together in joint committee, what, exactly, is in it? Hard to say...Read More»