Trump admin drops Obama-era proposal to require communication technology in cars

The Trump administration has quietly dropped an Obama-era proposal requiring all new vehicles to have communication technology that allows them to wirelessly “talk” to each another, according to The Associated Press.

The rule, unveiled last December, calls for all new light-duty cars and trucks to eventually be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology, a safety system that enables cars to send wireless signals to each other, anticipate each other’s moves and thus avoid crashes.

{mosads}Officials have said the technology could prevent tens of thousands of crashes each year. 

But industry sources told the AP that the rule has been moved from the White House Office of Management and Budget’s list of regulations “actively under consideration” to rules on its “long-term agenda.” 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told the AP that it is still reviewing the hundreds of comments on the proposed rulemaking and that no final decision has been made.

But, according to the AP, the administration is reluctant to impose costly mandates on the auto industry, while President Trump has made easing regulatory burdens a staple of his administration.