WASHINGTON — Portions of the U.S. Senate's $1 trillion infrastructure bill firm up some of the timelines for vehicle safety advancements that automakers and regulators have long had in the pipeline while leaving other safety updates open-ended.
The bipartisan legislation sets deadlines for the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue rules on automatic shutoff for keyless ignition systems, updated headlamp standards and a requirement for new vehicles to be equipped with drunken and impaired driving prevention technology.
The bill also calls for a rule that sets minimum performance standards for crash-avoidance technology and requires all vehicles sold in the U.S. to be equipped with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems as well as lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems, though it does not specify a rule deadline or compliance date.