"Yep, seriously. As the Wall Street Journal reports, Republicans are forming an inquisition chaired by senator Ted Cruz to attack federal laws mandating safety technology in new cars. These include proven, low-cost systems like automatic emergency braking (AEB) - which isn't even slated to become mandatory until 2029 - and alarms to remind drivers not to forget their kids in the back seat."
"In the United States, where having a car is all but mandatory for 92 percent of the population, ever-higher car prices are causing a lot of stress. The average cost of a new car in the US recently hit record heights, while repossessions for missed car payments are at a 15-year high. Always on the lookout for their next sacrificial lamb, Republican lawmakers are now arguing that technology in cars is to blame."
Car ownership is effectively mandatory for most Americans while new-vehicle prices have reached record levels and repossessions are at a 15-year high. Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Ted Cruz, are targeting federally mandated vehicle safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking and rear-seat reminder alarms as contributors to rising costs. NHTSA data credits safety systems with saving 860,000 lives since 1968, and many automakers already offer systems like AEB voluntarily. Industry litigation and political pressure claim regulatory requirements will increase costs, even as other factors drive higher prices and financial strain for buyers.
Read at Futurism
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