Amid the debate about affordability in the U.S. auto industry, which has been a key talking point in the President Donald Trump administration's agenda, the relevance of safety features like Auto Emergency Braking has been questioned by lawmakers, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

We spoke to Daniel Greene, who is the Senior Director of Consumer Protection and Product Safety Policy at the National Consumers League, to share his views on affordability and safety in the auto industry.

A Convenient Scapegoat

Speaking about his views on stakeholders blaming safety measures as the factors driving costs, Greene disagreed with the inference. "Federal safety and fuel economy standards are a convenient scapegoat," he said, adding the features were blamed because they do not provide "the same return on investment as other luxury, convenience, and technology features."

Citing a report released by his organization, which found that Federal safety standards accounted for just 3% of the total increase in costs between 2002 and 2019, Greene said that the main drivers of costs were "trimflation," which essentially means driving customers to buy higher trim levels, and the "shifting of vehicle mix."

Safety Standards Mean Lack Of Choice?

When asked about whether safety standards and features lead to a lack of choice for consumers, Greene outlined that federal regulations were important because "No one chooses to become a victim of a drunk driver, distracted motorist, or driver error," adding that safety features protect not just the occupants, but also other motorists on the road.

Greene also shared that safety features do not see applications in the products until regulation is established, which means that consumers would have "fewer choices to purchase vehicles equipped with the safety and efficiency features of their choosing," without safety standards.

"The very industry suggesting federal standards limit choice is actively opposing legislation that would empower consumers to purchase the optional safety features of their choosing," Greene said, adding that safety features like an ADAS suite were only available on higher-spec trims or packaged with luxury components.

Auto Emergency Braking And Costs

We asked Greene about his views on whether safety features like Auto Emergency Braking actually drove the costs up for manufacturers, to which he said that NHTSA was "only permitted to establish a safety standard if the benefits outweigh the costs."

He then said that an analysis by his organization concluded that the net benefits attributable to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) between 1968 and 2019 were close to $12.8 trillion in today's money.

"In 2025 alone, FMVSS that came into effect between 1968 and 2019 generated $5,164.51 in net societal benefits per household," Greene said. He also shared that for every dollar spent on adopting safety standards, the net benefit generated for society was over $24. 

CAFE Norms, Health Risks

"Improving fuel economy standards reduces harmful pollutants, lowering healthcare costs," Greene said. Expanding on the recent relaxation of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, he outlined that "vehicles that consume more gasoline generally emit more harmful pollutants."

These pollutants increase the risk of heart attack, respiratory illness and cancer. "The EPA estimates that model year 2027 to 2032 standards will save $13 billion in annual public health expenditures due to improved air quality," Greene said, suggesting that better fuel economy standards would mean more money saved.

What Steps Can The Auto Industry Take?

Greene also had some suggestions for the auto industry stakeholders, which could help drive affordability. He urged automakers to "Expand the production of more affordable, entry-level trims," as well as "double down on robust safety and fuel economy standards."

Greene explained that vehicle expenses accounted for "nearly twice the share of household budgets dedicated to actually paying for a new or used vehicle," and the "modest" increase in price due to safety standards was "dramatically eclipsed" by the benefits these features provided.

On fuel-economy, Greene said that improved efficiency lets owners save substantial amounts of money. "Owners of model year 2024 cars save, on average, $9,099.75 in avoided gasoline expenditures," Greene said, adding that "owners of model year 2024 light trucks save, on average, $9,920.23 in avoided gasoline expenditures."

Tariffs To Blame?

The administration has repeatedly used tariffs as a negotiation tactic when dealing with other countries, reviewing trade agreements established with partners. The White House has also invoked tariffs as a means to offset Chinese influence on global trade.

Speaking on whether tariffs could be blamed for a lack of affordability, Greene said that "estimates suggest that tariffs have increased the price of new passenger vehicles by $3,000," adding that the figure was "nearly equivalent to the cost of all safety, fuel economy, and equipment upgrades made since 2002."

“The administration is losing the affordability argument and is desperate to assign the blame to anything other than its failed policies,” Greene said, criticizing the Trump administration over its tariffs.

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