consumer information

consumer information Sec. 201. (a) During the first year after enactment of this Act the Secretary shall conduct a comprehensive study and investigation of the methods for determining the following characteristics of passenger motor vehicles: (1) The damage susceptibility of such vehicles. (2) The degree of crashworthiness of such vehicles. (3) The characteristics of such vehicles with respect to the ease of diagnosis and repair of mechanical and electrical systems which fail during use or which are damaged in motor vehicle accidents. (b) After reviewing the methods for determining the characteristics enumerated in subsection (a), the Secretary shall make specific recommendations for the further development of existing methods or for the development of new methods. (c) After the study has been completed the Secretary is authorized and directed to devise specific ways in which existing information and information to be developed relating to (1) the characteristics of passenger motor vehicles enumerated in subsection (a), or (2) vehicle operating costs dependent upon those characteristics (including information obtained pursuant to section 205 of this title), can be communicated to consumers so as to be of benefit in their passenger motor vehicle purchasing decisions. (d) The Secretary shall compile the information described in subsection (c) and furnish it to the public in a simple and readily understandable form in order to facilitate comparison among the various makes and models of passenger motor vehicles with respect to the characteristics enumerated in subsection (a). (e) The Secretary, not later than February 1, 1975, shall by rule establish procedures requiring automobile dealers to distribute to prospective purchasers information developed by the Secretary and provided to the dealer which compares differences in insurance costs for different makes and models of passenger motor vehicles based upon differences in damage susceptibility and crash worthiness.