US agency updating auto safety ratings for new technology

The U.S. government’s road safety agency wants to update its ratings system for vehicle safety to include testing of some new advanced driver-assist systems as it tries to keep up with changing technology.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants public comment about testing and adding a rating system for lane-keeping, automatic braking for pedestrians, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention systems. It included automatic emergency braking in its ratings system for the 2018 model year.

The agency also seeking comments on how to display crash avoidance technology information on vehicle window stickers for consumers to compare vehicles.

NHTSA’s ratings include a star system based on vehicle crash tests, but critics say nearly every vehicle gets four or five stars. The agency says it does not plan to update the crash tests at this time.

Comments will be accepted for 60 days by mail, at http://www.regulations.gov, and hand delivery to the Department of Transportation in Washington.

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