Safety Products for New and Older Vehicles: A Recommendation for Federal Action

摘要

Regulation of automobile technologies should be modified to encourage retrofitsafety products. The intent of current law is to benefit the public by ensuring that original technology in new vehicles is not compromised by aftermarket additions. The effect is to limit public access to safety technology. Vehicle safety technology is inaccessible to persons who cannot afford a new or newer model automobile. These individuals may also be the least able to bear the financial burden of preventable injury in an automobile accident. The inequity introduced by current regulation is furthered by goverment safety research policy. Government-sponsored automobile safety research is directed toward new vehicle technology. This policy should be broadened to expressly encourage research into technologies that can be retrofit as well as introduced as original equipment in new vehicles. The effect of this recommendation would be to stimulate private industry to provide automobile safety products that can be retrofit in older vehicles as well as introduced as original equipment in new vehicles. To achieve this public and private benefit, a review is recommended of existing statutes, regulations, and safety research policy.