NHTSA Statement on NAS Report on Electronic Control Systems

NHTSA
January 18, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Contact: Lynda Tran, 202-366-9550

WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the following statement regarding the report on electronic control systems released by the National Academy of Sciences today:

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety on the nation's roadways. In keeping with the agency's core safety mission and to better understand the causes and ways to address unintended acceleration in passenger vehicles, NHTSA commissioned an independent panel appointed by the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive review into electronic control systems and the safety assurance processes used by manufacturers. NHTSA is reviewing the report's recommendations and will carefully consider them.

"NHTSA has already taken steps to strengthen its expertise in electronic control systems while expanding research in this area — and the agency has considerable experience dealing with vehicle electronics issues in its research, rulemaking, and enforcement programs. But, NHTSA will continue to evaluate and improve every aspect of its work to keep the driving public safe, including research to assess potential safety concerns and help ensure the reliability of electronic control systems in vehicles. The agency will also further refine its strategic plan to address any potential technical and policy issues."