Many of our readers across Southern California might reasonably wonder if there is any logical nexus between advancements in automobile crash-avoidance technologies and improved fuel consumption being realized on state and national roadways.
A panel of legislators on Capitol Hill firmly posit such a connection, and they propose rewarding car manufacturing companies that develop next-step avoidance technologies with pollution credits for achieving fuel economy and gas emissions standards.
Here’s the linkage, as noted in a news article discussing accident-avoidance systems and defective-product recalls: Advocates of installing sophisticated safety systems on new vehicles in coming years say that the systems will minimize crashes and thus reduce grid congestion. That salutary effect will in turn drive down extra fuel consumption that would otherwise occur from idling and slow-moving vehicles clearing accident areas.
Actually, that make a great deal of sense, doesn’t it?
A number of other proposals are also being advanced by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. They include these recommendations:
- Car makers being required to email recall notices to affected consumers (in addition to sending relevant information by mail)
- State officials being required to notify motorists renewing vehicle registrations of outstanding recalls that might affect them
- Establishment of a national cybersecurity council to address hacking into vehicle systems and related matters
- Enactment of a law providing criminal penalties for attempted hacking of vehicle data and systems
One committee principal points to “an urgency for improvement … as the next generation of vehicles and innovation are set to emerge.”
Crash-avoidance technologies include systems such as automatic braking in emergencies, collision warnings and vehicle-to-vehicle communication abilities.