§32310 — Title 49 Transportation | U.S. Code

Summary

The head of the Department of Transportation (the Secretary) must create a 10-year plan for the New Car Assessment Program within 1 year after this law is passed, and must make a new plan at least every 4 years after that. The plan must have a 5-year mid-term part and a 5-year long-term part. It must explain any changes to testing and consumer information, including new test methods, clear ways to rate safety technology, reasonable time allowed to meet new tests, key milestones (when actions start, finish, and take effect), and how each update will make the consumer information better. The mid-term part must focus on practical technology that already has tests or data. The long-term part covers technologies that exist or are being developed. The plan must also list safety ideas found later that were left out, say why they were left out, and say what new information would be needed to add them. Before the plan is final, the Secretary must ask the public to comment, review those comments, and include them when appropriate. The Secretary must also meet at least once a year with a mix of technical experts and other stakeholders to find new safety opportunities, explore working with other rating programs, help with long-term planning, give interim updates on roadmap progress, and collect useful feedback. The roadmap should consider matching other U.S. and international rating systems.

Title 49, §32310

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and not less frequently than once every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall establish a roadmap for the implementation of the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(b)A roadmap under subsection (a) shall—

(1)cover a term of 10 years, consisting of—

(A)a mid-term component covering the initial 5 years of the term; and

(B)a long-term component covering the final 5 years of the term; and

(2)be in accordance with—

(A)section 306 of title 5;

(B)section 1115 of title 31;

(C)section 24401 of the FAST Act (49 U.S.C. 105 note; Public Law 114–94); and

(D)any other relevant plans of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(c)A roadmap under subsection (a) shall include—

(1)a plan for any changes to the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including—

(A)descriptions of actions to be carried out to update the passenger motor vehicle information developed under section 32302(a), including the development of test procedures, test devices, test fixtures, and safety performance metrics, which shall, as applicable, incorporate—

(i)objective criteria for evaluating safety technologies; and

(ii)reasonable time periods for compliance with new or updated tests;

(B)key milestones, including the anticipated start of an action, completion of an action, and effective date of an update; and

(C)descriptions of the means by which an update will improve the passenger motor vehicle information developed under section 32302(a);

(2)an identification and prioritization of safety opportunities and technologies—

(A)with respect to the mid-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(A)—

(i)that are practicable; and

(ii)for which objective rating tests, evaluation criteria, and other consumer data exist for a market-based, consumer information approach; and

(B)with respect to the long-term component of the roadmap under subsection (b)(1)(B), exist or are in development;

(3)an identification of—

(A)any safety opportunity or technology that—

(i)is identified through the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (d) or (e); and

(ii)is not included in the roadmap under paragraph (2);

(B)the reasons why such a safety opportunity or technology is not included in the roadmap; and

(C)any developments or information that would be necessary for the Secretary to consider including such a safety opportunity or technology in a future roadmap; and

(4)consideration of the benefits of consistency with other rating systems used—

(A)within the United States; and

(B)internationally.

(d)Before finalizing a roadmap under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1)make the roadmap available for public comment;

(2)review any public comments received under paragraph (1); and

(3)incorporate in the roadmap under this section those comments, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(e)Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall engage stakeholders that represent a diversity of technical backgrounds and viewpoints—

(1)to identify—

(A)safety opportunities or technologies in development that could be included in future roadmaps; and

(B)opportunities to benefit from collaboration or harmonization with third-party safety rating programs;

(2)to assist with long-term planning;

(3)to provide an interim update of the status and development of the following roadmap to be established under subsection (a); and

(4)to collect feedback or other information that the Secretary determines to be relevant to enhancing the New Car Assessment Program of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117–58, which was approved Nov. 15, 2021.

§32310 New Car Assessment Program Roadmap

Summary

Title 49, §32310

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Citations & Metadata