The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to create uniform minimum standards to cover the types of keyless ignition controls being installed in many new cars. The goal is to make it easier for drivers to stop a moving vehicle during a panic situation and to alert drivers who unintentionally attempt to leave the vehicle without it being "locked in park'' or with the engine still running.
The NHTSA is proposing to require a half-second hold time to shut down the vehicle when the driver pushes the ignition control, with the engine responding within a second of the initial push. The NHTSA is also proposing a standardized sound and volume for an audible warning to be given to the driver when the car is being turned off without being in the park position. The revisions would be included in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 114, Theft Prevention and Rollaway Protection. They would not likely take effect until Model Year ’15.
For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.