DOCSLIB.ORG

(Still) “Unsafe at Any Speed”1: Why Not Jail for Auto Executives?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
(Still) “Unsafe at Any Speed”1: Why Not Jail for Auto Executives? View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital Commons @ UM Law \\jciprod01\productn\H\HLP\9-2\HLP209.txt unknown Seq: 1 29-MAY-15 14:47 (Still) “Unsafe at Any Speed”1: Why Not Jail for Auto Executives? Rena Steinzor* I. “THE YEAR OF THE RECALL” 2 In 2014, the manufacturers of motor vehicles sold in America recalled sixty-four million vehicles, an astounding number that represented about forty-five percent of all passenger cars registered in 2012, the last year for which numbers are available, and that also exceeded the combined total of cars recalled during the previous three years.3 The momentum for this bad run began to build in 2009 when motorists reported sudden acceleration problems with Toyota cars, a brand that had been the gold standard for safety.4 Motorists’ anxiety escalated when General Motors (GM) admitted that faulty ignition switches could cause its compact cars to stall if drivers brushed their key chains with their knees, disabling both the power steering and air bags.5 The final straw was the discovery that air bags manufactured by the Takata Corporation, which dominates the U.S. market for that essen- tial part, could shoot shrapnel into people’s faces upon deployment.6 1 This famous phrase is the title of book published by Ralph Nader in 1965: Unsafe at Any Speed, The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile, which is largely credited with inspiring the creation of the auto safety regulatory system in the U.S. * Rena Steinzor is a professor at the University of Maryland Carey Law School and the president of the Center for Progressive Reform, www.progressivereform.org. She is the author of Why Not Jail? Industrial Catastrophes, Corporate Malfeasance, and Government Inaction published by Cambridge University Press in December 2014. She thanks research librarian Susan McCarty and research assistant Diana Griffin for their help. 2 Several commentators used this language to describe the behavior of automobile manufacturers in 2014. See, e.g., Paul A. Eisenstein, After ‘Year of the Recall’ Watchdog Needs an ‘Enforcer’, NBC NEWS (Dec. 14, 2014), http://perma.cc/9SH6-86RW (quoting Mike Rozembajgier, a vice president at Stericycle, which works with car companies to implement safety-related service). 3 Christopher Jensen, A Record Year of Recalls: Nearly 64 Million Vehicles, N.Y. TIMES, Feb. 12, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/business/auto-safety-recalls-set-record-of- nearly-64-million-vehicles-in-2014.html, http://perma.cc/6342-Q7VE. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 183 million “light duty” vehicles, a category that includes pas- senger cars and trucks, were on the road in 2012, the last year for which such statistics are available. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Table 4-11: Light Duty Vehicle, Short Wheel Base and Motorcycle Fuel Consumption and Travel, U.S. DEP’TOF TRANSP., http://perma.cc/ 4XVB-3B4V. 4 Scott Evans & Angus MacKenzie, The Toyota Recall Crisis: A Chronology of How the World’s Largest & Most Profitable Automaker Drove into a PR Disaster, MOTOR TREND (Jan. 2010), http://perma.cc/TCQ9-X82E. 5 See Peter Valdes-Dapena & Tal Yellin, GM: Steps to a Recall Nightmare, CNNMONEY (2015), http://perma.cc/RMG5-QVBN. 6 Pete Bigelow, The Long History Behind Takata’s Massive Airbag Recalls, AUTOBLOG (June 27, 2014, 4:29 PM), http://perma.cc/FTT5-PXFU. \\jciprod01\productn\H\HLP\9-2\HLP209.txt unknown Seq: 2 29-MAY-15 14:47 902 Harvard Law & Policy Review [Vol. 9 Outraged members of Congress hauled top auto executives and govern- ment officials into oversight hearings where blame was dished out in hearty portions. Mary Barra, GM’s new chief executive officer (CEO) and the first woman to head a major U.S. automaker, testified four times,7 doing her best to appease the audience by pledging to make things right.8 Unfortunately for GM, Takata, and their customers, however, recalls did not provide an imme- diate solution because replacement parts were in short supply, delaying re- pairs by as much as two years.9 Although the media uniformly condemned all three carmakers, none was higher profile nor more controversial than GM. Mary Barra’s contrition before Congress contradicted the company’s lower-profile behavior in court. GM strongly resisted judicial “park it” or- ders that would advise consumers to stop using their cars until they were fixed10 and fought successfully to invoke a liability shield against many con- sumer damage suits, which it obtained as part of the federal bailout that released it from bankruptcy proceedings in 2009.11 The company’s split personality did not win it any friends at the Depart- ment of Justice (DOJ). As this article goes to press, federal prosecutors have reportedly discovered “criminal wrongdoing” at the company and “are ne- gotiating what is expected to be a record penalty.”12 Anonymous sources briefed on the inquiry said charges could be brought against both the com- pany and individual employees.13 Beyond the satisfaction they took in scolding some of the most power- ful business people in the world at oversight hearings, members of Congress had what appeared to be the even more gratifying experience of excoriating the civil servants in charge of the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis- tration (NHTSA). The condemnation was bipartisan: Senator Claire McCas- kill (D-MO) said that NHTSA was “more interested in singing ‘Kumbaya’ 7 Melissa Burden & David Shepardson, GM CEO Mary Barra Won’t Attend Awards Event, DETROIT NEWS, Nov. 12, 2014, http://perma.cc/XXC9-NNV8. 8 Bill Vlasic & Danielle Ivory, Barra Faces Scrutiny in House Over G.M. Recalls, N.Y. TIMES, June 18, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/business/house-hearing-on-gen- eral-motors-recalls.html, http://perma.cc/PJX3-6LBX. 9 Jerry Hirsch, Many Recalled Vehicles Do Not Get Repaired, Posing a Safety Risk, L.A. TIMES, Dec. 27, 2014, http://perma.cc/Z82C-7PAE (reporting on delays in repairs at GM deal- erships); David Sedgwick, Airbag Inflator Shortage Plagues Industry: With Tight Capacity, 2 Years Needed for Replacements, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS (Nov. 24, 2014), http://perma.cc/RF66- 2YPH (explaining that Takata Corporation will not be able to produce an adequate number of replacement airbags to satisfy a Honda recall for two years and that other manufacturers would have to invent such replacements); Hilary Stout & Rebecca R. Ruiz, Recalled G.M. Cars Remain Unrepaired, N.Y. TIMES, Nov. 3, 2014, http://perma.cc/5NTG-A5D4. 10 Katie Lobosco, Judge Won’t Force GM to Issue ‘Park It Now’ Order, CNNMONEY (Apr. 17, 2014), http://perma.cc/AGX5-M6LA. 11 Mike Spector, GM Heads Back into Court, WALL ST. J., Feb. 16, 2015, http://www.wsj .com/articles/gm-heads-back-into-court-1424128905, http://perma.cc/N378-UQ45. 12 Danielle Ivory, Ben Protess, & Bill Vlasic, G.M. Inquiry Said to Find Criminal Wrong- doing, N.Y. TIMES, May 22, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/23/business/gm-inquiry- said-to-find-criminal-wrongdoing.html, http://perma.cc/FK6R-ZRN2?type=live. 13 Id. \\jciprod01\productn\H\HLP\9-2\HLP209.txt unknown Seq: 3 29-MAY-15 14:47 2015] (Still) “Unsafe at Any Speed” 903 with the manufacturers than being a cop on the beat.”14 A report written by staff for Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Commit- tee attributed the recall crisis to NHTSA’s “lack [of] focus and rigor.”15 As this article goes to press in the early summer of 2015, mixed messages prevail. The independent administrator of GM’s victim compensa- tion fund has acknowledged that 104 people were killed in accidents caused by faulty ignition switches.16 NHTSA says that as many as 89 people were killed in Toyota sudden acceleration accidents.17 These numbers will almost certainly increase as product liability lawsuits are resolved and the GM-initi- ated compensation fund processes more claims. Despite the worst safety re- call crisis it has endured in many years, GM was quite profitable in 2014, allowing CEO Barra to retain her star status in business media.18 NHTSA has a new administrator who has pledged extensive reforms although he has yet to receive sufficient additional resources to make many of those changes feasible.19 A consortium of ten automakers led by Toyota has taken the unu- sual step of convening to fund an independent engineering firm to develop a permanent fix to the airbag problem.20 Most noteworthy of all, federal prose- cutors have launched criminal investigations at GM and Takata.21 As federal prosecutors seem to recognize, criminal prosecutions of indi- vidual executives are a promising route to real change in an industry that makes equipment that is as dangerous as it is essential. Although the regula- tory system was intended to prevent such deadly outcomes, it has failed, and 14 Kevin Robillard, Congress Blasts Auto Safety Regulator, POLITICO (Sept. 17, 2014, 5:04 AM), http://perma.cc/Q73Q-JA7S. 15 STAFF OF H.R. COMM. ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE, 113TH CONG., STAFF REPORT ON THE GM IGNITION SWITCH RECALL: REVIEW OF NHTSA 44 (2009), http://perma.cc/6BL2- YFQH. 16 David Shepardson, GM Ignition Switch Fund OKs Compensation for 104 Deaths, DE- TROIT NEWS, (May 18, 2015, 10:23 AM), http://perma.cc/W4BF-KJV7. The number has in- creased every week for the past several months. 17 Jeff Plungis, Toyota Sudden Acceleration May Be Tied to 89 Deaths, U.S. Says, BLOOM- BERGBUSINESS (May 25, 2010), http://perma.cc/YSK7-6P4Y. 18 Jaclyn Trop, Is Mary Barra Standing on a “Glass Cliff”?, NEW YORKER, Apr.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tort Law Is Our Law! Catalogue
    Tort Law is Our Law! Share it for the Holidays... Winter 2018 Catalogue Holiday shopping that celebrates the Law! Tort law and trial by jury go together like the Holidays and presents. What better gift for your staff, or family and friends, than something from the American Museum of Tort Law - the Museum that celebrates the importance of trial by jury, and tort law – the branch of law that protects us all from dangerous products, and wrongful conduct. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer with Rick Newman We are pleased to invite you to look inside, where you’ll find gifts for everyone - the lawyer, your ace legal staff, the would-be lawyer, or anyone who appreciates good reads, fun items, intriguing art and especially our system of law - the greatest legal system in the world. Happy Holidays, 2018! Richard L. Newman, Esq. Executive Director “The Museum... will be of vital importance to our citizenry” - Justice Sandra Day O’Connor 3 Wearables—show your support... and start an education with a conversation! Phil Donahue (right), the celebrated talk show host and an early Founder, visited the Museum and conducted an interview with Yale Law Professor Akhil Reed Amar. September 17th, 2017 An AMTL Shirt is not just clothing or a show of support, it’s a sure-fire conversation starter... What’s Tort Law? Why a flaming car? Who are Brown and Kendall? You’re going to find out once you start wearing these shirts! Museum Logo T-Shirt $20 Black and white image of the Museum, with our name in white over a teal background.
    [Show full text]
  • RALPH NADER Corporatism's Threat to Democracy Interviewed by David Barsamian Winsted, CT 27 February 2021
    RALPH NADER Corporatism's Threat to Democracy Interviewed by David Barsamian Winsted, CT 27 February 2021 Ralph Nader, a legendary figure, has spent a lifetime fighting on behalf of ordinary people. Life magazine ranked him as one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century. The Atlantic named him one of the hundred most influential figures in U.S. history. Founder of Public Citizen, he is a long-time advocate for consumer safety and workers’ rights. He rose to fame in the 1960s when he took on General Motors and its unsafe Corvair car. His 1965 book Unsafe At Any Speed not only created a sensation but also was instrumental in the enactment of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. His efforts helped create the Environmental Protection Agency. He has exposed the misdeeds of the corporate sector as well as of the political system. In recent years he has led the struggles around NAFTA, the WTO, corporate welfare, and single-payer health care. He is the author of numerous books including Return to Sender, Unstoppable, To the Ramparts and Breaking Through Power. He is co-author of Fake President and Wrecking America. DAVID BARSAMIAN: Welcome to the program. Agency was good. And the nominee, while not the most aggressive, certainly is far better than the predecessor. A RALPH NADER: Thank you, David. good nomination was Rohit Chopra, who comes over from the Federal Trade Commission where he was a DAVID BARSAMIAN: Biden's appointments and policy commissioner to head the Consumer Financial Protection announcements since the January 20 inauguration. What do Bureau, which regulates the credit economy, all the fraud you like and what don't you like so far? and over-billing and fee penalties and deception and all of that.
    [Show full text]
  • Higher Education Exchange
    HIGHER EDUCATION EXCHANGE 2019 Leadership and Democracy Articles Maura Casey Michaela Grenier Matthew R. Johnson William V. Muse and Carol Farquhar Nugent Mark Wilson Interviews Dennis Donovan and Harry C. Boyte Katrina S. Rogers and Keith Melville Afterword David Mathews Editors: Derek W. M. Barker and Alex Lovit Managing Editor: Joey Easton Proofreader: Ellen Dawson-Witt Formatting: Long’s Graphic Design, Inc. The Higher Education Exchange is founded on a thought articulated by Thomas Jefferson in 1820: I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. In the tradition of Jefferson, the Higher Education Exchange agrees that a central goal of higher education is to help make democracy possible by preparing citizens for public life. The Higher Education Exchange is part of a movement to strengthen higher education’s democratic mission and foster a more democratic culture throughout American society. Working in this tradition, the Higher Education Exchange publishes case studies, analyses, news, and ideas about efforts within higher education to develop more democratic societies. The Kettering Foundation is a nonprofit operating foundation, chartered in 1927, that does not make grants but welcomes partnerships with other institutions (or groups of institutions) and individuals who are actively working on problems of communities, governing, politics, and edu- cation. The interpretations and conclusions contained in the Higher Education Exchange, unless expressly stated to the contrary, represent the views of the author or authors and not necessarily those of the foundation, its trustees, or officers.
    [Show full text]
  • For More Information Or to Arrange Interviews with Ralph Nader
    For More Information or to arrange interviews with Ralph Nader Contact: Hunter Jones or Todd Main 202-387-8034 [email protected] The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Acts – Fiftieth Anniversary (1966-2016) Nader Holds Four-Day Conference to Commemorate Fiftieth Anniversary Year of the Publication of Unsafe at Any Speed Today, September 9, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the National Highway Traffic Safety Act, a result of Ralph Nader's landmark book Unsafe at Any Speed, which was published the previous year. The book opened with the faulty rear suspension system of the General Motors Corvair, This defect could cause the Corvair to skid violently and roll over. The corporate negligence that had produced the various Corvair defects, Nader said, was “one of the greatest acts of industrial irresponsibility.” More broadly, Unsafe at Any Speed documented how Detroit habitually subordinated safety to style and marketing concerns. The main cause of automobile occupant injuries, Nader demonstrated, was not the “nut behind the wheel” so often blamed by the auto industry, but the inherent engineering and design deficiencies of motor vehicles that were woefully unsafe, especially in terms of “crashworthiness”—no seat belts, etc. At the signing, President Johnson said, “I am proud of the 89th Congress, which took my proposals and brought forth these laws. And I’m proud at this moment to sign these bills—which promise, in the years to come, to cure the highway disease, to end the years of horror and give us hope.” The publication of Unsafe at Any Speed led to GM’s contemptible investigation by private detectives and attempts to smear Nader, GM's subsequent public apology at a Senate hearing, and ultimately the 1966 auto and highway safety laws that have saved countless lives and profoundly accelerated the pace of auto safety innovation.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Citizen Copyright © 2016 by Public Citizen Foundation All Rights Reserved
    Public Citizen Copyright © 2016 by Public Citizen Foundation All rights reserved. Public Citizen Foundation 1600 20th St. NW Washington, D.C. 20009 www.citizen.org ISBN: 978-1-58231-099-2 Doyle Printing, 2016 Printed in the United States of America PUBLIC CITIZEN THE SENTINEL OF DEMOCRACY CONTENTS Preface: The Biggest Get ...................................................................7 Introduction ....................................................................................11 1 Nader’s Raiders for the Lost Democracy....................................... 15 2 Tools for Attack on All Fronts.......................................................29 3 Creating a Healthy Democracy .....................................................43 4 Seeking Justice, Setting Precedents ..............................................61 5 The Race for Auto Safety ..............................................................89 6 Money and Politics: Making Government Accountable ..............113 7 Citizen Safeguards Under Siege: Regulatory Backlash ................155 8 The Phony “Lawsuit Crisis” .........................................................173 9 Saving Your Energy .................................................................... 197 10 Going Global ...............................................................................231 11 The Fifth Branch of Government................................................ 261 Appendix ......................................................................................271 Acknowledgments ........................................................................289
    [Show full text]
  • Studebaker's 1956 Golden Hawk by Frank Ambrogio Studebaker's 1956 Golden Hawk by Frank Ambrogio
    Studebaker's 1956 Golden Hawk by Frank Ambrogio Studebaker's 1956 Golden Hawk by Frank Ambrogio The 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk is a unique car However, this was not always the case . ..1 which never achieved the level of acceptance pre- There was a time when no one seemed to dicted at its introduction. It's the only product of the notice the heavy front end. During its inaugu- Studebaker-Packard Corporation to reflect its dual com- ral year, the 1956 Golden Hawk was given pany heritage. The platform was the 1953 Studebaker high marks in almost every category, includ- Starliner. The engine and automatic transmission, were ing handling. both products of the Packard arm of the corporation. Several magazines of the period, pub- The management of Studebaker-Packard probably felt lished test drive reports. Tom McCahill had the car would appeal to both Studebaker and Packard fans. the only negative commentary on the car's However, the opposite happened. The Packard power handling. Here are some of the comments: plant never generated much interest among most Studebaker fans. The Packard crowd also fai-led to Mechanix Illustrated April 1956 Tom embrace this illegitimate offspring of orphaned parents. McCahill: "Due to the tremendous torque of the engine cornering maneuvers. The ride was comfortable at all As a matter of fact, the old car hobby, in general, has been (380 foot-pounds @ 2800 rpm) and due to the fact that the times." an apathetic audience. Hawk is quite a nose heavy car (because of its heavy Motor Life Oct 1956 Ken Fermoyle: "This car had Yet, the model has a lot going for it.
    [Show full text]
  • Automobile Safety: a Diagnosis of an Epidemic
    Washington and Lee Law Review Volume 23 | Issue 2 Article 9 Fall 9-1-1966 Automobile Safety: A Diagnosis Of An Epidemic Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr Part of the Transportation Law Commons Recommended Citation Automobile Safety: A Diagnosis Of An Epidemic, 23 Wash. & Lee L. Rev. 327 (1966), https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol23/iss2/9 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Washington and Lee Law Review at Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Washington and Lee Law Review by an authorized editor of Washington & Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 19661 NOTE NOTE AUTOMOBILE SAFETY: A DIAGNOSIS OF AN -EPIDEMIC Our country is currently faced with a major epidemic on'its high- ways. The severity and magnitude of this problem are such that it demands intensive and immediate action, yet our current efforts in curtailing the number of deaths and injuries caused by automobiles have been ineffective and misdirected. The problem has reached such grave proportions and poses such a serious threat to the safety of every individual in our society that there is an immediate need for the formulation of a national policy on automobile safety.' From 1900 through 1964 motor vehicles have accounted for 1,510,000 deaths in the United States, while war deaths from 1775 through 1964 to- taled only 605,000.2 We have well-established military and foreign policies, yet there has been no manifestation of a national policy on automobile safety.
    [Show full text]
  • Ford) Compared with Japanese
    A MAJOR STUDY OF AMERICAN (FORD) COMPARED WITH JAPANESE (HONDA) AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY – THEIR STRATEGIES AFFECTING SURVIABILTY PATRICK F. CALLIHAN Bachelor of Engineering in Material Science Youngstown State University June 1993 Master of Science in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Youngstown State University March 2000 Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING at the CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY AUGUST, 2010 This Dissertation has been approved for the Department of MECHANICAL ENGINEERING and the College of Graduate Studies by Dr. L. Ken Keys, Dissertation Committee Chairperson Date Department of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Paul A. Bosela Date Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr. Bahman Ghorashi Date Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Dean of Fenn College of Engineering Dr. Chien-Hua Lin Date Department Computer and Information Science Dr. Hanz Richter Date Department of Mechanical Engineering ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. Keys, my advisor, for spending so much time with me and providing me with such valuable experience and guidance. I would like to thank each of my committee members for their participation: Dr. Paul Bosela, Dr. Baham Ghorashi, Dr. Chien-Hua Lin and Dr. Hanz Richter. I want to especially thank my wife, Kimberly and two sons, Jacob and Nicholas, for the sacrifice they gave during my efforts. A MAJOR STUDY OF AMERICAN (FORD) COMPARED WITH JAPANESE (HONDA) AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY – THEIR STRATEGIES AFFECTING SURVIABILTY PATRICK F. CALLIHAN ABSTRACT Understanding the role of technology, in the automotive industry, is necessary for the development, implementation, service and disposal of such technology, from a complete integrated system life cycle approach, to assure long-term success.
    [Show full text]
  • Motor Vehicle Safety: Issues for Congress
    Motor Vehicle Safety: Issues for Congress Updated January 26, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46398 SUMMARY R46398 Motor Vehicle Safety: Issues for Congress January 26, 2021 Vehicle safety is a significant issue as Congress considers a replacement for the current authorization of surface transportation programs, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Bill Canis Act (FAST Act; P.L. 114-94), which expires at the end of FY2021. Vehicle safety provisions Specialist in Industrial th were included in the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2; 116 Congress), passed by the House of Organization and Business Representatives in July 2020; the legislation was not enacted. Responsibility for motor vehicle safety lies with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency’s performance has been controversial, in part because of its handling of the largest-ever recall, involving more than 63 million Takata airbags; since the recall was ordered in 2015, nearly 16 million potentially defective airbags have not been replaced. NHTSA has been without a Senate-confirmed administrator since 2017. Under federal law, NHTSA has the power to promulgate standards for cars and light trucks. The combination of new vehicle designs, greater vehicle automation, and federal standards—including those for seat belts, airbags, hood and door latches, and children’s car seats—has contributed to a reduction in the fatality rate by 80% over the past six decades. NHTSA does not approve vehicles before they are manufactured, but may order or encourage a vehicle or parts manufacturer to recall products that violate its standards.
    [Show full text]
  • Unsafe at Any Speed'
    Ralph Nader Radio Hour 50th Anniversary of 'Unsafe At Any Speed' [Audio Starts] Announcer: From the KPFK Studios in Southern California, it's the Ralph Nader Radio Hour. Steve Skrovan: Welcome to the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, my name is Steve Skrovan along with co-host, David Feldman. Hello there, David. David Feldman: Hello there. Steve Skrovan: And the man of the hour, Ralph Nader. How are you today, Ralph? Ralph Nader: Very good. Ready to go. Steve Skrovan: Okay. No nonsense. We're going to get right to it. And I'm glad we're going to get right to it because we have a special show for you today, special because this coming November 30th is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ralph's groundbreaking book, Unsafe at Any Speed, which was published back in 1965. David, we wish Ralph a happy anniversary. David Feldman: Did you get the flowers? Ralph Nader: No, I don't need the roses. I need more cars recalled that need to be fixed. Steve Skrovan: We'll work on that. And here's one way we're going to work on that. On today's show, we are going to celebrate that important piece of work which Time Magazine named one of the top 100 influential non-fiction books of all time. We're going to talk about its birth, its history, and how its publication marked the beginning of the modern consumer movement. Now I know, Ralph, you were not a fan in nostalgia, so we are only looking back as a way to inform the future.
    [Show full text]
  • SAFETY SELLS: Market Forces and Regulation in the Development of Airbags by Martin Albaum
    SAFETY SELLS Market Forces and Regulation in the Development of Airbags By Martin Albaum Copyright © 2005 Martin Albaum and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety All rights reserved. CONTENTS Foreword...................................................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1: Automobile Safety Becomes a Federal Affair ............................................................................ 1 The Automobile Redefines America...................................................................................................... 1 Automobile and Highway Safety........................................................................................................... 2 The Automobile Industry Reacts to New Safety Ideas .......................................................................... 7 Political Rumblings................................................................................................................................ 8 The Broader Environment and Climate of Opinion............................................................................. 10 Federal Auto Safety Standards Are Mandated..................................................................................... 12 The Origins of Airbags......................................................................................................................... 15 Summary .............................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Pathways to Auto Safety: Assessing the Role of the National Highway
    Pathways to Auto Safety: Assessing the Role of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by Robert L. Rabin∗ I. Road Injuries: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Context At the outset, it is worth reflecting on the extent to which the injury toll inflicted by motor vehicles on the roadway corresponds to the domain of auto safety regulation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—the regulatory domain to be assessed in this chapter. One recent personal experience, backed by a broader overview of highway fatality and injury data, will set the stage. Shortly after Memorial Day, returning from our annual three-week road and hiking trip, my wife and I were on the familiar last leg of our sojourn: driving north on Highway 395, tracking the Owens Valley on the eastern side of the Sierras. At a point north of Bishop, California, the four lane highway begins a relatively steep, protracted ascent for some fifteen miles (with no divider between the two lanes in each direction at that juncture). Midway up the section, as I drove behind a lumbering long-haul truck, the air began to fill with smoke— suggesting the possibility that a brushfire of some sort might be in the offing. But almost immediately, the smoke became positively overwhelming, as though an enormous white blanket had been thrown over the entire car, reducing my visibility literally to zero. I could no longer see ∗ A. Calder Mackay Professor of Law, Stanford Law School. My appreciation to Peter Schuck and Steve Sugarman for helpful comments on an earlier draft, and to Peter Davis for invaluable research assistance.
    [Show full text]