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Summary

The Deputy Principal Assistant Inspector General for Auditing and Evaluation testified on the Office of Inspector General’s recent and ongoing work on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) oversight of vehicle safety defects and highway safety grants. The testimony focused on NHTSA’s efforts to identify and secure an effective vehicle safety workforce and enhance its grant oversight. Specifically, the Deputy Principal Assistant Inspector General noted that NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation has made progress in strengthening its investigative processes but has not completed a workforce assessment. The Deputy Principal Assistant Inspector General also noted that ongoing vehicle safety concerns—particularly those related to General Motors’ recalls—prompt further assessment of NHTSA’s vehicle safety defect processes. Finally, the Deputy Principal Assistant Inspector General discussed how enhanced monitoring tools are needed to improve NHTSA’s oversight of highway safety grants.