Congressman Brett Guthrie and Congressman Gus Bilirakis have announced a hearing titled “Looking Under the Hood: The State of NHTSA and Motor Vehicle Safety.” The hearing, set for June 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building, will focus on evaluating the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as Congress considers its reauthorization.
“The American auto industry has been, and continues to be, one of the premier industries in our country,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Bilirakis. They emphasized the need to enhance vehicle safety and support innovation to maintain the U.S. auto industry’s leading position.
David Harkey, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), submitted testimony highlighting a road safety emergency in the United States. According to Harkey, crash deaths have increased by nearly 30% since 2014. He noted that among 29 high-income countries, the U.S. ranks lowest based on per capita fatality rate.
Harkey introduced IIHS’s “30×30 initiative,” aiming to reduce U.S. fatalities by 30% by 2030 and urged NHTSA to lead this effort. He criticized NHTSA for lacking urgency in addressing key issues like requiring antilock braking systems for motorcycles and impaired driving prevention technology on new vehicles.
“NHTSA has an essential role to play in confronting our current road safety emergency,” Harkey said but called for stronger leadership and action from the agency.
The hearing will be open to the public and live-streamed online. For more information or press inquiries, contacts are provided within the committee staff.
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