Between high speeds and distracted motorists, driving can be a dangerous way to get around. Government officials often try to pass laws to help car manufacturers design safer vehicles. Often, those rules take time to become effective.
In Florida, there tend to be about 1,000 car accidents per day. While some of these are minor fender-benders, others have deadly consequences. It begs the question of whether increased safety measures could help more people arrive at their destination safely.
Here’s what you should know about the updated regulations for car manufacturers, and why they take so long to implement.
Rules from 2012
Over nine years ago, officials passed a law requiring car manufacturers to add certain safety features to their vehicles. The rule that you may see on the news the most is the rear seatbelt reminder rule.
Under the guidance of the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was supposed to work with auto manufacturers to add “regular and salient reminders” if occupants in the backseat were unbuckled.
Slow on follow-through
Families are losing loved ones to car accidents, wondering if the lack of a reminder for backseat passengers to fasten their seatbelts would have helped.
The 2012 law was supposed to take three years to implement. However, in 2017, a case was filed to direct the DOT to finally begin enacting the 2012 law since it still had not made progress.
So far, it is unclear what will motivate the NHTSA and auto manufacturers to fulfill this and other safety measures to help drivers and their passengers be safer on the road.
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