Regulatory Evaluation:
Effectiveness of NHTSA's
Regulations and Programs

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has rigorously evaluated its major programs as a matter of policy since 1970. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) began in 1975. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory Planning and Review," issued in October 1993, now oblige all Federal agencies to evaluate their existing programs and regulations.

Most of NHTSA's crashworthiness and several crash avoidance standards have been evaluated at least once since 1975. NHTSA has also evaluated a number of consumer-oriented regulations, such as bumpers, theft protection, fuel economy and the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), as well as some promising safety technologies that were not mandatory under Federal regulations, such as antilock brake systems.

LATCH Child Safety Seat System Confusing Says NHTSA Study

Trends in the Static Stability Factor of Passenger Cars, Light Trucks, and Vans

Lives Saved by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Other Vehicle Safety Technologies, 1960-2002 - Passenger Cars and Light Trucks - With a Review of 19 FMVSS and their Effectiveness in Reducing Fatalities, Injuries and Crashes

Cost and Weight Added by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Model Years 1968-2001 in Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

Cost Per Life Saved By The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Summary of Evaluation Results, 1979-2005

Evaluation Program Plan, Calendar Years 2004-2007

To view the Abstracts and Executive Summaries of the regulatory evaluations, you may access them below by Topic, Federal Motor Vehicle Standard Number/Program Number, or Title. Most (if not all) of these documents are also included in the DOT Docket, available at http://dms.dot.gov/, where you can enter the docket number or some keywords to search for the full text.

Regulatory Evaluation Documents by Topic

Regulatory Evaluation Documents by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number or Program Number

Regulatory Evaluation Documents by Title

For further information or to obtain a copy of any listed report, contact:

Charles J. Kahane
Chief, Evaluation Division
National Center for Statistics and Analysis
NPO-131
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590

Email CKahane@nhtsa.dot.gov

Phone (202) 366-2560       Fax (202) 366-2559