Houston records third-highest pedestrian deaths in the nation, federal data shows
Read full article: Houston records third-highest pedestrian deaths in the nation, federal data showsHouston ranks among the deadliest U.S. cities for pedestrians, with Westheimer and FM 1960 listed as some of the most dangerous roads nationwide. City and state officials outline new safety plans as advocates call for urgent improvements.
A new crash test dummy that better resembles women gets key government endorsement
Read full article: A new crash test dummy that better resembles women gets key government endorsementThe U.S. government has released a new crash test dummy design that advocates believe will help make cars safer for women.
Tesla hit with probe after crashes involving a self-driving feature that Musk has boasted about
Read full article: Tesla hit with probe after crashes involving a self-driving feature that Musk has boasted aboutFederal regulators have opened yet another investigation into Tesla’s so-called full-self driving technology after dozens of incidents in which the electric vehicle maker’s cars ran red lights or drove on the wrong side of the road, sometimes crashing into other vehicles and endangering drivers.
Parents of two college students killed in a Tesla allege design flaw trapped them in the burning car
Read full article: Parents of two college students killed in a Tesla allege design flaw trapped them in the burning carLawsuits filed Thursday by parents of two college students killed in a Tesla crash say they were trapped inside as the car burned and filled with smoke because of a design flaw that makes it difficult to open the doors in fires.
BMW issues recall; owners told to park outside of buildings amid fire risk
Read full article: BMW issues recall; owners told to park outside of buildings amid fire riskAccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue stems from corrosion in the engine starter relay, which may overheat and short-circuit — potentially causing a fire.
Tesla under investigation after parents say faulty door handles trapped their kids in the back
Read full article: Tesla under investigation after parents say faulty door handles trapped their kids in the backFederal auto safety regulators opened an investigation Tuesday into a possible defect in Tesla door handles that have reportedly left parents unable to reach into back seats to get their children out of the cars.
Nissan recalls over 480,000 vehicles in the US and Canada due to engine failure risk
Read full article: Nissan recalls over 480,000 vehicles in the US and Canada due to engine failure riskNissan is recalling more than 480,000 of its vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause engine failure.
Musk's 'robotaxis' draw regulatory scrutiny after video shows one driving in an opposing lane
Read full article: Musk's 'robotaxis' draw regulatory scrutiny after video shows one driving in an opposing laneFederal traffic safety regulators are looking into suspected problems with Elon Musk’s test run of self-driving “robotaxis” in Texas after videos on social media show a few of them braking suddenly or going straight through an intersection from a turning lane and driving down the wrong side of the road.
Honda recalls more than 259,000 cars across the US due to brake pedal issue
Read full article: Honda recalls more than 259,000 cars across the US due to brake pedal issueHonda is recalling more than 259,000 of its cars across the U.S. due to a problem that can cause the brake pedal to shift out of position, potentially interfering with a driver’s ability to stop or slow down.
Waymo to test self-driving cars in the Greater Houston area
Read full article: Waymo to test self-driving cars in the Greater Houston areaWaymo, formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car Project, is embarking on a cross-country tour visiting more than 10 cities this year, and one of them is Houston.
Feds ask Musk's car company how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas rollout
Read full article: Feds ask Musk's car company how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents in Texas rolloutFederal safety regulators have asked Elon Musk's car company to explain how its driverless taxis will avoid causing accidents when they hit the road in Texas next month before a national “robotaxi” launch that is key to keeping Tesla's stock price aloft.
Musk’s cost-cutting team is laying off workers at the auto safety agency overseeing his car company
Read full article: Musk’s cost-cutting team is laying off workers at the auto safety agency overseeing his car companyElon Musk’s cost-cutting team is eliminating jobs at the vehicle safety agency that oversees Tesla and has launched investigations into deadly crashes involving his company’s cars.
Things to know about the Trump administration order on miles per gallon for cars and pickups
Read full article: Things to know about the Trump administration order on miles per gallon for cars and pickupsHours after being sworn in as the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy took aim at the main way the federal government regulates miles per gallon for cars and pickup trucks — also a principal way that it controls air pollution and addresses climate change.
US opens another Tesla probe, latest focused on tech that remotely returns car to driver
Read full article: US opens another Tesla probe, latest focused on tech that remotely returns car to driverU.S. regulators have opened an investigation into 2.6 million Teslas after reports of crashes involving the use of company technology that allows drivers to remotely command their vehicle to return to them, or move to another location, using a phone app.
Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recalls
Read full article: Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recallsGovernment safety regulators are closing an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns.
US proposes voluntary guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administration
Read full article: US proposes voluntary guidelines for self-driving vehicles in waning days of Biden administrationThe government’s highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles.
US retreats from massive air bag recall and says industry comments show need for more investigation
Read full article: US retreats from massive air bag recall and says industry comments show need for more investigationU.S. safety regulators have backed away from seeking a recall of nearly 50 million air bag inflators.
US to require passenger vehicles to sound alarms if rear passengers don't fasten their seat belts
Read full article: US to require passenger vehicles to sound alarms if rear passengers don't fasten their seat beltsStarting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up.
US to add features such as blind spot warnings and pedestrian detection to vehicle crash ratings
Read full article: US to add features such as blind spot warnings and pedestrian detection to vehicle crash ratingsThe U.S. government’s automobile safety ratings will get a major update starting with the 2026 model year when regulators add new driver-assistance technologies and tests for protecting pedestrians.
Ford agrees to pay up to $165 million penalty to US government for moving too slowly on a recall
Read full article: Ford agrees to pay up to $165 million penalty to US government for moving too slowly on a recallFord Motor Co. will pay a penalty of up to $165 million to the U.S. government for moving too slowly on a recall and failing to give accurate recall information.
US regulators investigating whether engines on 1.4 million Hondas might fail
Read full article: US regulators investigating whether engines on 1.4 million Hondas might failU.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that engines can fail on as many as 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles.
US agency says Tesla's public statements imply that its vehicles can drive themselves. They can't
Read full article: US agency says Tesla's public statements imply that its vehicles can drive themselves. They can'tThe U.S. government’s highway safety agency says Tesla is telling drivers in public statements that its vehicles can drive themselves.
US agency ends investigation into Ford engine failures after recall and warranty extension
Read full article: US agency ends investigation into Ford engine failures after recall and warranty extensionU.S. auto safety regulators have ended an investigation into Ford engine failures after the company replaced engines or extended the warranty on some vehicles.
US to probe Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditions
Read full article: US to probe Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditionsThe U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
Officials warn that EVs could catch fire if inundated with saltwater from Hurricane Helene
Read full article: Officials warn that EVs could catch fire if inundated with saltwater from Hurricane HeleneElectric vehicle owners who live in the path of hurricanes should be wary of the risk their cars could catch fire if they are inundated by saltwater as the powerful storm moves ashore.
US seeks new pedestrian safety rules aimed at increasingly massive SUVs and pickup trucks
Read full article: US seeks new pedestrian safety rules aimed at increasingly massive SUVs and pickup trucksThe U.S. government’s road safety agency wants the auto industry to design new vehicles including SUVs and pickup trucks so they reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries.
Car seat safety: How to make sure your car seat is correctly installed
Read full article: Car seat safety: How to make sure your car seat is correctly installedProperly using a car seat is the best way parents can prevent car-related injuries in their young children. Texas Children's Hospital joins KPRC 2 News Today at 10 to share how to properly install a car seat.
US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
Read full article: US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in TexasFederal safety authorities say they are seeking information on a crash and fire involving a Tesla Cybertruck that killed a driver of the futuristic new pickup.
Everything you need to know about keeping children out of hot cars
Read full article: Everything you need to know about keeping children out of hot carsAccording to the prevention website KidsAndCars.org, more than 1,050 children have died since 1990 after they were left inside devastatingly hot vehicles across the United States.
US road safety agency will look into fatal crash near Seattle involving Tesla using automated system
Read full article: US road safety agency will look into fatal crash near Seattle involving Tesla using automated systemU.S. road safety investigators say they will look into an April crash near Seattle after authorities determined that a Tesla was operating on the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system when it hit and killed a motorcyclist.
US stands by decision that 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous, steps closer to huge recall
Read full article: US stands by decision that 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous, steps closer to huge recallU.S. auto safety regulators say they stand by a conclusion that more than 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous and should be recalled.
Real-world mileage standard for new vehicles rising to 38 mpg in 2031 under new Biden rule
Read full article: Real-world mileage standard for new vehicles rising to 38 mpg in 2031 under new Biden ruleNew vehicles sold in the U.S. will have to average about 38 miles per gallon of gasoline in 2031 in real-world driving, up from about 29 mpg this year, under new federal rules unveiled Friday by the Biden administration.
Waymo is latest company under investigation for autonomous or partially automated technology
Read full article: Waymo is latest company under investigation for autonomous or partially automated technologyThe U.S. government’s highway safety agency has opened another investigation of automated driving systems, this time into crashes involving Waymo’s self-driving vehicles.
Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit Zoox under investigation by US after 2 rear-end crashes
Read full article: Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit Zoox under investigation by US after 2 rear-end crashesAmazon’s self-driving robotaxi unit is being investigated by the U.S. government’s highway safety agency after two of its vehicles braked suddenly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists.
US seeks information from Tesla on how it developed and verified whether Autopilot recall worked
Read full article: US seeks information from Tesla on how it developed and verified whether Autopilot recall workedFederal safety investigators want Tesla to tell them how it developed the fix in a recall of more than 2 million vehicles with the company’s Autopilot partially automated driving system.
US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years and set performance standards
Read full article: US to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years and set performance standardsAutomatic emergency braking will have to come standard on all U.S. new passenger vehicles in five years.
US opens investigation into Ford crashes involving Blue Cruise partially automated driving system
Read full article: US opens investigation into Ford crashes involving Blue Cruise partially automated driving systemTwo fatal crashes involving Ford’s Blue Cruise partially automated driving system have drawn the attention of U.S. auto safety regulators.
US probes whether Tesla Autopilot recall did enough to make sure drivers pay attention
Read full article: US probes whether Tesla Autopilot recall did enough to make sure drivers pay attentionThe U.S. government’s auto safety agency is investigating whether last year’s recall of Tesla’s Autopilot driving system did enough to make sure drivers pay attention to the road.
US probe of Hondas that can activate emergency braking for no reason moves closer to a recall
Read full article: US probe of Hondas that can activate emergency braking for no reason moves closer to a recallA U.S. government investigation into unexpected automatic braking involving nearly 3 million Hondas is a step closer to a recall.
Ford is under investigation for Bronco Sport gas leaks. US says its remedy doesn't fix the problem
Read full article: Ford is under investigation for Bronco Sport gas leaks. US says its remedy doesn't fix the problemThe U.S. is investigating a Ford recall for gasoline leaks from fuel injector cracks that can cause engine fires, saying that the remedy doesn’t fix the leaks.
Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parked
Read full article: Kia recalls over 427,000 Telluride SUVs because they might roll away while parkedKia is recalling more than 427,000 of its Telluride SUVs due to a defect that may cause the cars to roll away while they’re parked.
US probes complaints that Ford pickups can downshift without warning, increasing the risk of a crash
Read full article: US probes complaints that Ford pickups can downshift without warning, increasing the risk of a crashU.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that more than 540,000 Ford pickup trucks can abruptly downshift to a lower gear and increase the risk of a crash.
Departing US road safety chief says agency has the people and knowhow to regulate high-tech vehicles
Read full article: Departing US road safety chief says agency has the people and knowhow to regulate high-tech vehiclesIn the past 15 months, no one has been more responsible for safety on the nation’s roads than Ann Carlson.
US agency to watch unrecalled Takata inflators after one blows apart, injuring a driver in Chicago
Read full article: US agency to watch unrecalled Takata inflators after one blows apart, injuring a driver in ChicagoU.S. auto safety regulators say they are monitoring data from a group of mostly unrecalled Takata air bag inflators after one of them exploded in a BMW and hurled metal fragments that seriously injured a driver in Chicago.
BMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driver
Read full article: BMW recalls SUVs after Takata air bag inflator blows apart, hurling shrapnel and injuring driverBMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the U.S. because the driver’s air bag inflators can blow apart in a crash, hurling metal shrapnel and possibly injuring or killing people.
Honda recalls select Accords and HR-Vs over missing piece in seat belt pretensioners
Read full article: Honda recalls select Accords and HR-Vs over missing piece in seat belt pretensionersHonda is recalling select 2023-2024 Accord and HR-V vehicles due to a missing piece in the front seat belt pretensioners, which could increase injury risks during a crash.
After deadly Nevada crash, federal investigators want cars to warn drivers if they're speeding
Read full article: After deadly Nevada crash, federal investigators want cars to warn drivers if they're speedingFederal accident investigators want automakers to install systems on all new vehicles that warn drivers when they go over the speed limit.
Toyota is not advising people to park recalled RAV4 SUVs outdoors despite reports of engine fires
Read full article: Toyota is not advising people to park recalled RAV4 SUVs outdoors despite reports of engine firesToyota is not advising owners of 1.9 million recalled RAV4 SUVs to park them outdoors, even though U.S. safety investigators have four complaints about engine fires that can start with the vehicles’ ignitions turned off.
US regulators investigate GM's Cruise division over incidents involving pedestrians in roadways
Read full article: US regulators investigate GM's Cruise division over incidents involving pedestrians in roadwaysThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle division after receiving reports of incidents where vehicles may not have used proper caution around pedestrians in roadways.
Ford recalls over 238,000 Explorers to replace axle bolts that can fail after US opens investigation
Read full article: Ford recalls over 238,000 Explorers to replace axle bolts that can fail after US opens investigationFord is recalling more than 238,000 Explorers in the U.S. because a rear axle bolt can fail, potentially causing a loss of drive power or allowing the SUVs to roll away while in park.
The US government seems ready to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators for safety concerns
Read full article: The US government seems ready to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators for safety concernsThe U.S. government appears poised to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators due to a manufacturing flaw that could send metal shrapnel rocketing through a car interior.
Drive a Hyundai or Kia? See if your car is one of the nearly 3.4 million under recall for fire risks
Read full article: Drive a Hyundai or Kia? See if your car is one of the nearly 3.4 million under recall for fire risksNearly 3.4 million Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the U.S. are under recall due to the risk of engine compartment fires.
Hyundai and Kia recall nearly 3.4 million vehicles due to fire risk and urge owners to park outdoors
Read full article: Hyundai and Kia recall nearly 3.4 million vehicles due to fire risk and urge owners to park outdoorsHyundai and Kia are recalling nearly 3.4 million vehicles in the U.S. and telling owners to park them outside due to the risk of engine compartment fires.
Car seat safety: How to make sure your car seat is correctly installed
Read full article: Car seat safety: How to make sure your car seat is correctly installedProperly using a car seat is the best way parents can prevent car-related injuries in their young children. Texas Children's Hospital joins KPRC 2 News Today at 10 to share how to properly install a car seat.
US steps toward forcing recall of 52 million air bag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnel
Read full article: US steps toward forcing recall of 52 million air bag inflators that can explode and hurl shrapnelThe U.S. government is taking a big step toward forcing a defiant Tennessee company to recall 52 million air bag inflators that could explode, hurl shrapnel and injure or kill people.
NHTSA proposing new rules to encourage seat belt use by all vehicle passengers
Read full article: NHTSA proposing new rules to encourage seat belt use by all vehicle passengersThe Department of Transportation is proposing new rules designed to encourage seat belt usage by car and truck passengers, including those sitting in the back seats.
US proposes 18% fuel economy increase for new vehicle fleet from 2027 through 2032
Read full article: US proposes 18% fuel economy increase for new vehicle fleet from 2027 through 2032The U.S. government wants to raise the fuel economy of new vehicles 18% by the 2032 model year so the fleet would average about 43.5 miles per gallon in real-world driving.
Congress urged to revive long-stalled debate about regulating self-driving vehicles
Read full article: Congress urged to revive long-stalled debate about regulating self-driving vehiclesAdvocates for the self-driving vehicle industry are asking Congress to expand their ability to test and eventually sell autonomous cars and trucks.
Owners of some 2003 Ram pickups urged to not drive them after another Takata air bag inflator death
Read full article: Owners of some 2003 Ram pickups urged to not drive them after another Takata air bag inflator deathStellantis and the U.S. government are urging owners of some 2003 Dodge Ram pickups to stop driving them after a passenger was killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator.
Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system gets closer look as US seeks details on recent changes
Read full article: Tesla's Autopilot driver-assist system gets closer look as US seeks details on recent changesU.S. automobile safety regulators are zeroing in on changes that Tesla has made to its Autopilot partially automated driving system including how it makes sure drivers pay attention and how it detects and responds to objects.
Ford Explorer recall prompts Transportation Department investigation
Read full article: Ford Explorer recall prompts Transportation Department investigationThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a Ford Motor Co. recall of more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. The probe comes after the administration received complaints about repairs intended to prevent the vehicles from unexpectedly rolling away even while placed in park.
US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks and buses
Read full article: US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on heavy trucks and busesThe government’s traffic safety agency says it will require that heavy trucks and buses include potentially life-saving automatic emergency braking equipment within five years.
Company says it can't say for sure whether more air-bag inflators might explode and hurl shrapnel
Read full article: Company says it can't say for sure whether more air-bag inflators might explode and hurl shrapnelA company that makes air-bag inflators that have exploded in eight incidents involving two deaths and seven injuries argues that it can’t say for sure whether its inflators might cause further such incidents.
Highway safety agency reports power problems in 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUVs
Read full article: Highway safety agency reports power problems in 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUVsU.S. regulators say multiple U.S. owners of Hyundai’s popular Ioniq 5 electric SUV have complained of completely or partially losing propulsive power, many after hearing a loud popping noise.
Audit finds National Highway Traffic Safety Administration auto safety defect probes take too long
Read full article: Audit finds National Highway Traffic Safety Administration auto safety defect probes take too longA government audit has found that the U.S. agency charged with keeping the roads safe is slow to investigate automobile safety defects, limiting its ability to handle rapidly changing or severe risks.
US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles and set tougher standards
Read full article: US safety agency to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles and set tougher standardsThe U.S. government’s auto safety agency plans to require that all new passenger cars and light trucks include potentially life-saving automatic emergency braking and meet stricter safety standards within three years.
More than 30 million US drivers don't know if they're at risk from a rare but dangerous airbag blast
Read full article: More than 30 million US drivers don't know if they're at risk from a rare but dangerous airbag blastMore than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel.
Tesla shouldn't call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control, Buttigieg says
Read full article: Tesla shouldn't call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control, Buttigieg saysThe top U.S. transportation official says Tesla shouldn’t call its partially automated driving system Autopilot because the cars can’t drive themselves.
US traffic deaths drop slightly in 2022 but still a 'crisis'
Read full article: US traffic deaths drop slightly in 2022 but still a 'crisis'The number of people killed on U.S. roadways decreased slightly last year, but government officials say the almost 42,795 people who died is still a national crisis.
US probes crash involving Tesla that hit student leaving bus
Read full article: US probes crash involving Tesla that hit student leaving busU.S. road safety regulators have sent a team to investigate a crash involving a Tesla that may have been using a partially automated driving system when it struck a student who had just exited a school bus.
Tesla recalls 'Full Self-Driving' to fix unsafe actions
Read full article: Tesla recalls 'Full Self-Driving' to fix unsafe actionsU.S. safety regulators have pressured Tesla into recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its “Full Self-Driving” system because it can misbehave around intersections and doesn’t always follow speed limits.
US ends probe into Ford SUV exhaust issues without a recall
Read full article: US ends probe into Ford SUV exhaust issues without a recallThe U.S. government has closed a yearslong investigation into exhaust odors in Ford Explorer passenger cabins, determining that the SUVs don’t have high levels of carbon monoxide and don’t need to be recalled.
US probing automated driving system use in 2 Tesla crashes
Read full article: US probing automated driving system use in 2 Tesla crashesThe U.S. government’s highway safety agency says it's sending teams to investigate November crashes in California and Ohio involving Teslas that may have been operating on automated driving systems.
US opens probe of Cruise robotaxi braking, clogging traffic
Read full article: US opens probe of Cruise robotaxi braking, clogging trafficUS safety regulators are investigating reports that autonomous robotaxis run by General Motors’ Cruise can unexpectedly come to a halt, potentially stranding passengers.
US study: Over half of car crash victims had drugs in system
Read full article: US study: Over half of car crash victims had drugs in systemA large U.S. government study has found that more than half the people injured or killed in traffic crashes had one or more drugs, or alcohol, in their bloodstreams.
US reports another Takata air bag death, bringing toll to 33
Read full article: US reports another Takata air bag death, bringing toll to 33U.S. safety regulators and Honda Motor Co. are urging drivers once again to make sure their vehicles haven’t been recalled after another person was killed by an exploding Takata air bag.
11 more crash deaths are linked to automated-tech vehicles
Read full article: 11 more crash deaths are linked to automated-tech vehiclesEleven additional people were in crashes involving vehicles using automated driving systems during a four-month period earlier this year, according to newly released government data, part of an alarming pattern of incidents linked to the technology.
Over 1M Teslas recalled after reports of windows pinching fingers when rolled up
Read full article: Over 1M Teslas recalled after reports of windows pinching fingers when rolled upTesla is recalling nearly 1.1 million vehicles in the U.S. because the windows can pinch a person’s fingers when being rolled up.
US report: nearly 400 crashes of automated tech vehicles
Read full article: US report: nearly 400 crashes of automated tech vehiclesAutomakers reported nearly 400 crashes of vehicles with partially automated driver-assist systems, including 273 involving Teslas, according to new statistics from U.S. safety regulators.
Data likely shows Teslas on Autopilot crash more than rivals
Read full article: Data likely shows Teslas on Autopilot crash more than rivalsThe government plans soon to release data on collisions involving vehicles with autonomous or partially automated driving system that will likely single out Teslas for a disproportionately high number of such crashes.
Feds: Goodyear knew of defective RV tires as early as 2002
Read full article: Feds: Goodyear knew of defective RV tires as early as 2002Federal investigators say Goodyear knew that some of its recreational vehicle tires could fail and cause severe crashes, yet it failed to recall them for as long as 20 years.
US has over 750 complaints of Teslas braking for no reason
Read full article: US has over 750 complaints of Teslas braking for no reasonMore than 750 Tesla owners have complained to U.S. safety regulators that cars operating on the company's partially automated driving systems have suddenly stopped on roadways for no apparent reason.