Department of Transportation

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Feds Demand System to Ensure Brakes Work

Brake override proposal a response to Toyota, Lexus crashes

(Newser) - Are you terrified of your car suddenly and uncontrollably accelerating, Toyota-style ? Well, federal regulators are at last moving to put your mind at ease. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put forward a proposal to require all new vehicles to include a brake override system , the LA Times...

Passenger With E-Cig Kicked Off Flight

Does it violate 'no-smoking' rules? Continental thinks so

(Newser) - A flight out of Portland had to return to the airport yesterday after a man started puffing on an e-cigarette shortly after takeoff and refused to stop. He was escorted off the plane at Portland International Airport and may face federal charges, reports OregonLive.com . (It's not clear what...

DOT Rules Would Limit Car Gadget Use

Agency pushes voice-command systems over 'visual-manual' ones

(Newser) - The Department of Transportation has issued its first draft guidelines to deal with distracted driving, and they ban a lot more than just sending text messages. The guidelines recommend that automakers limit cars' "infotainment" systems so that while a car is in motion, all tasks can be performed with...

Angry Over Regulation, Spirit Institutes Snarky Fee

'Unintended Consequence' fee intended to chide transportation department

(Newser) - Spirit Airlines is angry over a new Department of Transportation rule—and it's making sure customers know it, by slapping a $2 "Department of Transportation Unintended Consequence Fee" on all tickets. The new rule, which went into effect last week, requires airlines to give customers a full refund,...

Feds to Airlines: Stop Hiding Ticket Fees, Taxes

Carriers must advertise full price starting next month

(Newser) - Airlines will soon be forced to advertise the full price of tickets—including government taxes and fees—instead of a stripped-down price with an asterisk. The rule scheduled to go into effect in late January is designed to keep prospective fliers from getting a nasty surprise several steps into the...

Federal Aviation Administration Chief Randy Babbitt Is Resigning After His DWI Arrest
FAA Chief Resigns
After DWI Arrest
Dec 6, 2011 4:47 PM CST

FAA Chief Resigns After DWI Arrest

Randy Babbitt will step down after weekend misfire

(Newser) - It was probably just a bit much to overcome: FAA chief Randy Babbitt is resigning in the wake of his weekend DWI arrest, reports AP . Babbitt initially went on leave after police pulled him over in northern Virginia for driving on the wrong side of the road, but now he'...

Airline Hit With $900K Fine for Tarmac Waits

American Eagle first to be fined under new policy

(Newser) - American Eagle Airlines has been hit with the first fine issued under new rules prohibiting airlines from keeping passengers stuck in planes on the tarmac for more than three hours. The regional carrier was fined $900,000 for keeping a total 608 passengers on board 15 different flights on the...

Transportation Secretary Is an Accidental Hipster

Ray LaHood isn't sure what 'hipster' means, but he likes urban bikers

(Newser) - Transportation chief Ray LaHood tells the Huffington Post that he'll push for more protections for bicyclists in US cities and likes the idea of more dedicated bike lanes. “I’m concerned that people that are driving cars have a level of respect for bikers, and that’s the...

DoT: Oops, We Can't Ban Peanuts on Planes

Allergy sufferers are out of luck

(Newser) - The Department of Transportation has been publicly considering banning or restricting the distribution of peanuts on airplanes, in deference to those with severe allergies. But when it issued its latest airline rules yesterday, it revealed that it literally couldn’t do anything—thanks to a 12-year-old law specifically preventing them...

And the Airline With the Most Complaints Is...

...Delta. Overall, complaints about US airlines rocketed 28% last year

(Newser) - If you think flying has gotten worse lately, you're not alone. Airline complaints soared an astounding 28% last year. Oddly, though, actual data reveals that planes improved their performance in a number of areas, with fewer lost bags and bumped passengers, and more on-time arrivals. A co-author of the Transportation...

Maureen Dowd: Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels
 Ford's Now Building 
 Smartphones on Wheels 
MAUREEN DOWD
Feb 27, 2011 1:45 PM CST

Ford's Now Building Smartphones on Wheels

'In-car connectivity' is a plethora of distractions

(Newser) - Ford's got a slick new whiz-bang simulator, and Maureen Dowd kicked the tires—and almost ran smack "into a huge green truck," she writes for the New York Times. The problem is Ford's new "in-car connectivity"—a "cornucopia of diversions on your dashboard," Dowd...

US: Toyota Was Right About Acceleration

NASA report finds no electronic cause for runaway cars

(Newser) - Maybe it was the floor mats after all? A government investigation has concluded that Toyota was right: there was no electronic glitch causing its cars to accelerate uncontrollably. “The jury is back, the verdict is in,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared. “There is no electronic-based cause for...

GOP Slams $53B High-Speed Rail Plan

Huge rail boost likely to meet stiff House opposition

(Newser) - Joe Biden announced an ambitious $53 billion plan to expand America's high-speed rail program yesterday, drawing immediate fire from Republicans. "This is like giving Bernie Madoff another chance at handling your investment portfolio," said House Transportation Committee chairman John Mica, pointing to previous rail failures and labeling Amtrak...

Toyota Slapped With Max Fine Over Recalls

Company to pay $32.4M in addition to $16.4M already paid

(Newser) - Toyota has agreed to pay $32.4 million in fines for dragging its feet in recalling millions of defective vehicles, the maximum fine allowable by law. Together with the $16.4 million paid earlier this year, the fines amount to roughly $30 for every car the company sold in the...

Ohio, Wisconsin Spurn $1.2B to Build Train Lines

Stimulus funds will go to other states

(Newser) - The US is redistributing $1.2 billion in federal stimulus money that had been headed to Ohio and Wisconsin, after both states' Republican governors-elect called for an end to proposed train projects, arguing they were unnecessary and would cost millions to operate. “Wisconsin taxpayers were victorious today in defeating...

Feds: 17M Drive Drunk
 Feds: 17M Drive Drunk 
Aug 26, 2010 6:45 AM CDT

Feds: 17M Drive Drunk

Poll shows 8% admit they drive when they shouldn't

(Newser) - There are an uncomfortable number of drunk drivers out there, according to a new survey from the Department of Transportation. In the poll, 8% of respondents admitted to driving drunk—a number that, if representational, would equate to roughly 17 million Americans. And that’s just those willing to admit...

Obama Ups Fines to Bump Passengers Off Flights

Airlines bumping more passengers as they cut back on flights

(Newser) - The Obama administration has more good news for frustrated travelers. The Department of Transportation intends to increase the amount airlines have to pay you if they bump you involuntarily to a later flight. The regulation, one of several passenger-friendly moves from the White House, comes amid soaring bump rates, ABC...

Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine
 Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine 

Apr 19, 2010 1:19 AM CDT

Toyota to Pay $16.4M US Fine

But automaker won't admit hiding defects from feds

(Newser) - Toyota is expected to agree today to pay a record $16.4 million US fine after a 4-month delay in reporting the "sticky pedal" defect that led to a massive recall. Toyota has decided not to challenge the government penalty, but will not admit it knowingly hid evidence of...

Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M

 Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M 
Apr 5, 2010 4:18 PM CDT

Feds Fine Toyota $16.4M

Automaker has the right to appeal penalty

(Newser) - Toyota is still paying for its decision to wait 4 months before announcing a recall and notifying federal regulators of the "sticky pedal" defect—and the automaker will pay even more: a $16.4 million fine imposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this afternoon. Toyota has 2...

Obama Boosts Fuel Efficiency Standards

Transportation Department, EPA make new targets official

(Newser) - The Obama administration is setting tough gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks, spurring the next generation of fuel-sipping gas-electric hybrids, efficient engines, and electric cars. The heads of the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will today sign final rules requiring 2016 model-year vehicles to meet fuel...

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