Congress shields automaker safety data from public view in new research program
S. 1474 — Vehicle Safety Research Act of 2025 · Filed by Gary Peters (D-MI) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Apr 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill establishes the Partnership for Analytics Research in Traffic Safety (PARTS) program, a federal research initiative where automakers and other vehicle manufacturers voluntarily submit safety data to independent researchers. The data remains under each company's control and is kept confidential from the public and other companies, but researchers can analyze it to develop safety technologies and countermeasures. The bill exempts this program from normal federal paperwork rules and public-disclosure requirements.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to create a legal safe harbor for automakers to share safety research data with federal researchers while keeping that data permanently confidential from the public. While framed as a research initiative, the primary mechanism is a confidentiality shield.
What the text implies
- The bill exempts PARTS data from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) via Section 552 confidentiality language, meaning safety findings will never be publicly disclosed even after research is complete.
- Companies retain full ownership and control of their data; researchers cannot share findings between participants without explicit permission, potentially fragmenting safety research and limiting cross-company learning.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
automotive manufacturers; vehicle safety technology companies; research institutions contracted to administer PARTS