Auto Safety Norms Set To Toughen

Key members of Congress are working on a bill that will give far more power to federal auto safety regulators over automakers and recalls. The move comes in the wake of the Toyota ADR) (NYSE: TM) debacle, where the company paid a measly $16.4million fine for a delayed recall of defective vehicles.

According to Free Press, the new bill will include lifting of the cap on fines and allowing federal officials to order a stop sale on vehicles deemed unsafe. A “center for vehicle electronics and emerging technologies” will be created in NHTSA. The agency also would be required to make public more “early warning” information from manufacturers about complaints and possible defects.