NHTSA May Mandate That New Cars Broadcast Location, Direction and Speed

CNSNews.com) - Before the end of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide whether or not to begin the rulemaking process to mandate that newly manufactured cars include what is being called “vehicle-to-vehicle” (V2V) communications technology that constantly broadcasts via radio wave the car’s location, direction, speed and, possibly, even the number of passengers it is carrying.

“NHTSA expects to make a decision on V2V technology by the end of the year,” a spokesman for the agency told CNSNews.com.

That point was reaffirmed by NHTSA Administrator David Strickland in testimony in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today, where he said the agency will “decide this year whether to further advance the technology through regulatory action, additional research, or a combination of both.”

“We expect to issue decisions on light duty vehicles this year, followed by a decision on heavy-duty vehicles in 2014,” he said.

NHTSA sees this technology as the first step on a “continuum” of automotive evolution that will ultimately lead to fully automated vehicles navigated by internal electronics linked to external infrastructure, communications and database systems.

Via: CNS News

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North Texas Drivers Stopped at Roadblock Asked for Saliva, Blood

Some drivers along a busy Fort Worth street on Friday were stopped at a police roadblock and directed into a parking lot, where they were asked by federal contractors for samples of their breath, saliva and even blood.

It was part of a government research study aimed at determining the number of drunken or drug-impaired drivers.

"It just doesn't seem right that you can be forced off the road when you're not doing anything wrong," said Kim Cope, who said she was on her lunch break when she was forced to pull over at the roadblock on Beach Street in North Fort Worth.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is spending $7.9 million on the survey over three years, said participation was "100 percent voluntary" and anonymous.

But Cope said it didn't feel voluntary to her -- despite signs saying it was.

"I gestured to the guy in front that I just wanted to go straight, but he wouldn't let me and forced me into a parking spot," she said.

Once parked, she couldn't believe what she was asked next.

"They were asking for cheek swabs," she said. "They would give $10 for that. Also, if you let them take your blood, they would pay you $50 for that."

At the very least, she said, they wanted to test her breath for alcohol.

Via: NBCDFW

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Going Green is Going to Hell

Going Green is not going well for the Electric Car Company Tesla. Last week we reportedof its latest car fire and now we have this:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday it is opening a formal investigation into 13,100 Tesla Motors Model S electric vehicles for battery fires — one month after it declined to do so.

It comes as the Palo Alto, Calif., start-up said it would extend warranty coverage to fire claims and is making changes to make the vehicles less suspectible to striking roadway debris.

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland told a congressional committee that the agency had seen some issues it wanted to investigate…

The auto safety agency in October said it would not open a formal investigation after a fire in Kent, Wash., occurred when debris struck the underside of a Model S sparking a battery fire. After a fire in Mexico and a fire earlier this month near Smyrna, Tenn., the agency said Tuesday it had decided to open a preliminary investigation. Strickland said it made the initial decision believing the first fire was an isolated incident.

Meanwhile, the Tesla stock (TSLA) lost more than 25% of its value over the last four weeks!

Via: The Right Scoop

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