U.S. Urges Safety Technologies Be Made Standard

U.S. accident investigators say the government should require auto manufacturers to include the latest collision prevention technologies as standard equipment on all new cars and trucks.

The National Transportation Safety Board says the requirement could reduce fatal highway accidents by more than half.

The technologies include lane departure warning, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic breaking and electronic stability control. These are available on many cars and trucks now, although some are limited primarily to higher end models.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers says the technologies could add several thousand dollars to the cost of a new car. But safety advocates say cost per vehicle would come down if the technology became standard equipment.

The NTSB's recommendation is part of its annual "10 most wanted" safety improvements.