WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that it will delay

implementation of updates to the U.S. government's New Car

Assessment Program finalized in December after a request by

automakers.

The agency last year said it was adding blind spot warning,

blind spot intervention, lane-keeping assist and pedestrian

automatic emergency braking and updating its automatic emergency

braking requirements effective in the 2026 model year that

starts this month. NHTSA said it was delaying requirements until

the 2027 model year after a group representing nearly all major

automakers in April said the agency had failed to publish test

procedures for evaluating crashworthiness pedestrian protection.