Feds propose safety rules to prevent shock in electric vehicles

Federal regulators are proposing new protections to keep drivers of electric vehicles from getting shocked.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new safety requirements Wednesday to protect drivers from electrical shock during “everyday, normal vehicle operations.”

{mosads}The proposal is intended to protect electric vehicle occupants from shock not only following crashes, but also while driving and charging the car, according to the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The electrical safety requirements would “protect against direct and indirect contact of high voltage sources during everyday operation of electric-powered vehicles,” the agency wrote in the Federal Register.

The protections would also extend to emergency officials who are responding to a car accident where an electric vehicle is involved. The goal is to “reduce deaths and injuries from electrical shock,” the agency wrote.

The public has 60 days to comment.