The History of NHTSA

From the recently published book, "DUI / DWI: The History of Driving Under the Influence."

Available for purschase at: http://www.amazon.com/DUI-DWI-History-Driving-Influence/dp/1432746227/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258400052&sr=1-3

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is an agency of the Executive Branch of the United States Government and part of the Department of Transportation. According to the agency its mission is to “[s]ave lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes.” www.nhtsa.dot.gov No other entity, save the government itself, has had a greater influence in the field of DUI in the United States than NHTSA.

NHTSA’s primary role within the government is to write and enforce safety, theft-resistance, and fuel economy standards for motor vehicles (under the banner of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) system). In addition to these roles NHTSA also licenses vehicle manufacturers and importers, allows or blocks the import of vehicles and safety-regulated vehicle parts, administers the VIN system, develops the anthropomorphic dummies used in safety testing, as well as the test protocols themselves, and provides vehicle insurance cost information.

Another of NHTSA’s significant activities is the creation and maintenance of the data files maintained by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis. In particular, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) has become a resource for traffic safety research in the United States and other countries. NHTSA has a lot on its plate in addition to its role in vehicle safety and in particular DUI law.

In 1966 the United States Department of Transportation was born (on October 15, 1966). Around this time other government agencies were created which would eventually join to become NHTSA, including the National Traffic Safety Agency, the National Highway Safety Agency, and the National Highway Safety Bureau. NHTSA was officially established in 1970 by the Highway Safety Act of 1970. In 1972, the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act expanded NHTSA’s scope to include consumer information programs.

Presently NHTSA has an annual budget of US $815 Million (2007) and the agency classifies most of its spending under the “driver safety” heading, with a minority spent on “vehicle safety,” and a smaller amount on environmental matters of which it is in charge (i.e. vehicular fuel economy). NHTSA’s impact in the DUI field has been significant, and of particular note has been their role in DUI investigations and the standardization of FSTs.

For information on your DUI, please contact our Snohomish County DUI attorneys, King County DUI attorneys, Island County DUI attorneys, or Skagit County DUI attorneys at 425-493-1115 or check out our website at http://www.washdui.com/