Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization cautions against sweeping budget cuts that would pose risks to consumers’ safety and economic well-being nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports (CR) is warning that large-scale cuts to funding and personnel at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) would pose serious risks to road safety, fuel economy, and other vital priorities for Americans.
In a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, CR urged DOT to move forward on strong standards that would improve auto safety and save consumers money while fueling their vehicles. CR stressed that a well-resourced DOT is essential to protecting consumers, and advised against potential staff or funding cuts that could undermine that work.
“Safety matters to every American who steps into a vehicle or crosses a street. There is no substitute for a Department of Transportation that researches emerging technologies, issues strong safety standards, and gets defective vehicles off the road in a timely manner,” said Cooper Lohr, senior policy analyst for transportation and safety for Consumer Reports.
“Broad or senseless cuts could all too easily leave dangerous cars on the road longer, leading to preventable deaths and injuries, and place popular and bipartisan congressionally authorized programs in limbo. If DOT leaders decide reductions are necessary, cuts should be targeted and thoughtful. Every day, more than 100 lives are lost from crashes on U.S. roads, and consumers need a DOT that will fight to bring down this devastating toll. The next several years will be critical in ensuring that advances in safety technology translate into real protections for consumers,” added Lohr.
Cuts to DOT could also have lasting consequences beyond safety, affecting the Department’s ability to ensure consumers see real financial benefits from more efficient vehicles and a transportation system that reduces long-term costs to both the public and the planet.
“Consumers across the political spectrum want to spend less to fuel their vehicles,” said Chris Harto, a senior policy analyst for transportation and energy at Consumer Reports. “An important way to ensure that each generation of new vehicles costs less to fuel is for the Department of Transportation to continue to set maximum feasible corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, as required by law.”
A CR analysis found that today’s fuel economy standards have saved consumers over $9,000 in lifetime fuel costs compared to vehicles sold in 2001—without increasing inflation-adjusted purchase prices. A nationally representative CR survey of 2,191 U.S. adults in 2024 shows that 84% of Americans, including majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, support continued improvements in fuel economy. These standards are especially important for rural Americans, who spend 75% more of their income on fuel than non-rural drivers. A strong DOT is indispensable to making sure all consumers see fuel savings in their daily lives.
CR’s letter highlighted key opportunities for DOT to stand with consumers, including:
- Vehicle Safety: CR urged DOT to remain firm against industry attempts to weaken or delay the new automatic emergency braking (AEB) rule and to continue advancing pedestrian safety measures in response to record-high pedestrian fatalities. CR also called for DOT to prioritize recall investigations, compliance actions, and enforcement to make sure auto companies are held accountable to the public for safety.
- Driving Automation: CR stressed the need for robust federal oversight of driving automation, including to ensure that partially automated systems (SAE Level 2) have effective safeguards to prevent overreliance and keep drivers actively engaged. For cars with a higher level of automation, namely, autonomous vehicles (AVs), CR called on DOT to require strong safety benchmarks to protect the public. Two-thirds (68%) of Americans believe AVs should be held to stricter safety standards than traditional vehicles, according to a nationally representative December 2024 CR survey. Just 3% of Americans believe safety standards for AVs should be less strict than for traditional passenger vehicles.
- Fuel Economy Standards: CR emphasized the importance of maintaining strong Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, which save consumers thousands of dollars in fuel costs and encourage innovation in vehicle efficiency.
- EV Charging Expansion: CR called on DOT to ensure rural and underserved communities aren’t left behind as the nation builds out its EV charging infrastructure.
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Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org