In opening debate on a major reform of auto safety laws, the House Energy and Commerce Committee today voted unanimously to include a requirement that audible alerts, such as chirps or similar sounds be added to all electric cars, plug-in hybrids and other vehicles that generate little or no sound. The requirement is designed to help the visually impaired, pedestrians and bicyclists who might not otherwise notice the vehicles in time to avoid a collision. Another requirement will be an event recorder, which would maintain the information on conditions right before and during a crash.

The panel will now be discussing a revised bill that scales back some of the measures contained in the original proposal. Among the changes are reductions in penalties for recalls. While the bill would still raise a manufacturer's liability from a current cap of $16.4 million to a new cap of $25,000 per vehicle recalled with a cap of $200 million, the bill originally introduced by Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) had no cap, which could have left Toyota, for example, facing a bill of $13 billion connected with its delays in addressing the accelerator problem. An original penalty of up to $250 million was proposed for executives who fail to provide information connected to recalls. The revised legislation reduces that amount to $5,000 per day with a $5 million cap.

The proposed legislation would also curb the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's ability to order unsafe vehicles off the road. The NHTSA would have to prove the "substantial likelihood of death or serious injury to the public" and the car companies would have a chance to "present information, views, and arguments" before the department issued a final order.