Senate Committee to Challenge Auto-Safety Mandates That Hurt 'Affordability'

Republicans question value of automatic braking, rear-seat reminders

Lawmakers will take aim at vehicle-safety mandates in a coming Senate hearing, targeting some auto-industry regulations once considered too sacrosanct to attack.

Senate Republicans in January plan to criticize requirements for safety technology, such as automatic emergency braking and alarms to remind drivers that a child is in the back seat, arguing they are ineffective and will unnecessarily drive up the cost of cars, according to people familiar with the situation.

They aim to head off future requirements touted by safety advocates and argue instead for advancing autonomous vehicle technology.

Chief executives of Detroit’s three automakers and a senior Tesla executive have been summoned to appear at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation—set for Jan. 14—to explain why vehicles have become so expensive. General Motors and Ford Motor are weighing whether to send their CEOs to the hearing, spokespeople said; Jeep-maker Stellantis declined to comment.

Sticker shock is hitting car buyers as the U.S. broadly faces what many consider to be a growing affordability crisis. The average price of a new vehicle hit $50,000 this fall, up from closer to $38,000 before the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, all facets of car ownership—from repairs to loans to insurance—have become costlier.

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/senate-committee-to-challenge-auto-safety-mandates-that-hurt-affordability-43944765?st=DCz5eb&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Watch Republicans also come after mandatory seat belts -- they've been objecting to that federal regulation for decades.