When it comes to any new regulation that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration deems "not controversial and therefore unlikely to receive adverse comment," it would like the power to implement the regulation without the standard period of public comment. It seeks the change in order to be able to clear and finalize "routine" rules in a matter of days. If NHTSA is granted the power it seeks, people could still comment on such regulations and request changes, but the agency could ignore the feedback and the requests.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers has questioned the proposal, which would expedite the "direct final rule" process, citing the decrease in transparency it could entail and the ambiguous definition of "controversy" – what NHTSA thinks is a routine regulation, others could consider anything but.

The notice was posted on the NHTSA site on Tuesday, but NHTSA hasn't commented on the proposal, it's chief saying he would let it speak for itself.