Blumenthal Statement on New NHTSA Frontover Data

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, issued the following statement after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new data on non-traffic incidents, which encompasses frontovers:

“This newly released data underscores the urgent need for action. I will be introducing a mandate for front facing devices like cameras or sensors. I am pleased that NHTSA has publicly released this much-needed data, as I urged, to help understand the full scope of tragic frontover deaths and injuries. The data makes it clear that frontovers will continue to senselessly and needlessly take innocent lives without action. I will continue to press for rapid remedies to bring an end to these tragedies.”

In August, Blumenthal sent a letter to NHTSA, calling for the agency to publish the data and take action to address child deaths due to frontovers. Recent demonstrations by investigative reporters have shown blind zones in front of some cars to be as big as 16 feet, obstructing children from view and putting them at risk of being run over.

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