Summary by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

MAJOR PROVISIONS OF S. 694

The Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007 or the K.T. Safety Act of 2007

Power Windows:

• Requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to begin a rulemaking within 18 months of enactment on the need to require power windows and panels to automatically reverse direction if there is an obstruction in the path of a motor vehicle window or panel;
  
• NHTSA must make determination as to whether a final rule shall be issued within 30 months of enactment;
  
• If a final rule is issued, any phase-in of the final rule requirements must be completed within 48 months from issuance of final rule;
  
• If NHTSA decides not to issue a final rule to require automatic reversal of power windows and panels in motor vehicles, NHTSA must
  
  • report to Congress the reasons for not issuing a final rule; and,
    
  • publish information about which vehicle are or are not equipped with automatic reversal of power windows and panels in motor vehicles on the internet and other means (such as the NCAP “Buying a Safer Car” brochure).

Rearward Visibility:

• Requires NHTSA to begin rulemaking within 12 months of enactment to amend FMVSS Standard No. 111, Rearward Visibility;
  
• NHTSA must issue a final rule within 36 months of enactment;
  
• The final rule must expand the rearward field of view to enable drivers to detect areas behind motor vehicles in order to reduce deaths and injuries from backing incidents, particularly for children and the disabled;
  
• The final rule may provide flexibility for different types of vehicles as long as the requirements expand the rearward field of view to enable drivers to detect areas behind motor vehicles in order to reduce deaths and injuries from backing incidents, particularly for children and the disabled;
  
• Any phase-in of the final rule requirements must be completed within 48 months from issuance of final rule;
  
• Motor vehicles with a higher rate of involvement in backing incidents involving injury can be given a priority and phased-in sooner than 48 months.

Preventing Vehicle Roll-Away:

• Motor vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission must have a brake-shift transmission interlock on and after September 1, 2010;
  
• Each year prior to September 1, 2010, NHTSA must publish or make available on the internet the makes and models of motor vehicles with automatic transmissions that do not have a brake-shift transmission interlock.

Nontraffic, Noncrash Injury Database

• NHTSA must establish database for nontraffic, noncrash motor vehicle injuries within 6 months of enactment;
  
• Information in the database must be made available to the public.

Child Safety Information Program

• NHTSA must establish a consumer information program on nontraffic, noncrash hazards to children within 6 months of enactment
  
• The information program shall address ways in which parents and care-givers can reduce risks to small children arising from backover incidents, hyperthermia in closed vehicles, accidental actuation of power windows and other risks.