- NHTSA delays key safety feature requirements for five-star ratings until 2027.
- Lane-keeping assist and blind spot tech were to be mandatory in 2026 models.
- The Alliance for Automotive Innovation pushed for the timeline extension.
The push to make America’s roads safer has hit another speed bump. Despite its focus on reducing traffic deaths, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has delayed the rollout of new standards tied to five-star safety ratings standards after pressure from automakers.
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While manufacturers may be breathing a sigh of relief, the decision is far less encouraging for the public, especially after nearly 40,000 lives were lost on US roads last year.
The updated requirements were set to debut with the 2026 model year, expanding the New Car Assessment Program to include features like blind-spot warning, blind-spot intervention, lane-keeping assist, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking. An update to automatic emergency braking standards was also scheduled to take effect in the same timeframe.
Automakers Push Back
However, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation which represents brands like BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, VW, Kia, JLR, Mitsubishi, Mazda and others, argued that the timeline was simply too tight. According to the group, manufacturers would not have had enough lead time to equip upcoming models with the required technology and still secure five-star ratings.
Read: NHTSA’s Shrinking Staff Is Raising Concerns About Safety
Last week, the NHTSA said it was delaying the implementation of the new safety rules until the 2027 model year, ultimately bowing to the pressure of some of the world’s largest car manufacturers.
Plenty Of Notice
The delay has drawn criticism because manufacturers were hardly caught off guard. As far back as March 2022, the NHTSA had publicly floated these changes, and even then, many vehicles already met or exceeded the proposed standards. That makes the argument over insufficient time harder to defend.
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Reuters understands that the Alliance for Automotive Innovation has also asked President Donald Trump to reconsider the rules which will require nearly all cars and trucks by 2029 to have advanced automatic emergency braking systems. These regulations were finalized back in April of 2024.
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