The chief federal auto regulator said that under a Senate legislation drafted after Toyota Motor Corp.’s announcement of record recalls, the US government wouldn’t have the power to order immediate auto recalls.
David Strickland, director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said that the proposal by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., would mean that consumer notification is required before a recall could be issued. Strickland said that this “does not constitute a recall.” In a testimony for a hearing of Rockefeller’s committee in Washington, Strickland said that the agency shouldn’t be faced with a lengthy procedural process if the “threat to human life is truly imminent.” Strickland is helping to create legislation as the Senate and House proceed with plans to reinforce auto-safety oversight in response to Toyota’s vehicle defects as well as its failure to promptly notify the regulator.
[via autonews – sub. required]
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