Automakers Step Up Gear and Brake-Shift Safety

Automakers Step Up Gear and Brake-Shift Safety

Automakers recently announced a voluntary agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to equip all vehicles with safety equipment that will prevent children and others from accidentally shifting a vehicle into gear by 2010. About 80 percent of vehicles currently have brake-shift interlocks, and the number is expected to rise to 98 percent in 2009, reports The Detroit News. A letter to NHTSA, signed by Fred Webber, president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and Michael Stanton, president of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, said the agreement “represents a model for responsible industry action.” Beginning Sept. 1, automakers will disclose what vehicles have brake-shift interlocks.