NHTSA Withdraws Brake-Throttle Override Mandate

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has withdrawn its 2012 proposal requiring all passenger vehicles to include safety systems that prevent unintended acceleration, reports the Associated Press.

The agency said Monday the technology known as brake-throttle override (BTO) systems, does not need to be mandated as automakers have installed them voluntary in all 2018 passenger vehicles, according to the report.

However, safety advocates do not support the NHTSA move, noting it will take years to determine whether or not manufacturers installed the systems due to the pending rule. Moreover, with no BTO mandate, the safety systems may not be included in future models or may be sold as an optional luxury system.

NHTSA's proposed rule originally came about after a series of unintended acceleration issues with Toyota vehicles.

In 2010 there were claims that electronic defects were causing the acceleration in high-speed crashes, but NHTSA investigated and ruled that out. Rather, it was determined that in some cases drivers had inadvertently pressed the brake and gas pedal simultaneously or that gas pedals became trapped by floor mats, reports AP.

The latest move to scrap the proposed mandate comes at a time when the Trump administration is pushing to eliminate regulations, viewing them as a burden on industry, reports AP.