The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the “Act”), signed into law on November 15, 2021, has been followed closely by the transportation sector. One section of the Act has the potential to impact the landscape of automotive products liability litigation.
Section 24220 requires automobile manufacturers to equip new passenger vehicles with advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. No. 117-58, § 24220, 135 Stat. 429, 831-833 (2021).
This provision raises vital questions regarding the liability of manufacturers and drivers for partially autonomous vehicles – an area of products liability law that has yet to be developed by the courts.
