Obligation of funds to the Vehicle Electronic Systems Safety (VESS) Research Support Contract

BIL, also known as the “Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act” (IIJA), P.L. 117-58, mandated that NHTSA undertake motor vehicle safety and consumer information related activities that require NHTSA to perform additional vehicle safety research prior to their implementation. Additional research is needed in the areas of automatic emergency braking, illegal passing of school buses, automatic engine shutoff systems, crash avoidance technology, driver distraction, headlamps, and advanced impaired driving technology.

BIL authorized additional funding for NHTSA vehicle safety research generally, resulting in increased activity in a number of vehicle electronics research areas. These BIL funds will support increased research and development activities in Automatic Driving Systems (ADS), Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS), and motor vehicle cybersecurity.