Law and Rights
US Senators at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today scolded Bush administration officials over suspected interference with the federal government's safety investigators in Washington hearings June 4. White House officials were pushing a plan to "upgrade" roof strength safety standards when Senators apparently figured out that the real plan was to curb future lawsuits by people whose vehicle roofs collapse in rollover crashes.
The initial plan was said to be to "upgrade" the federal roof strength standards but Senators found a provision in the plan that would severely limit lawsuit damages for people who might be injured or killed by collapsing roofs if the new "upgraded" standards were adopted.
So when is an upgrade not really an upgrade? Apparently whenever federal safety investigators get into bed with big business interests. It's high time we got politics out of the safety process, folks.
Even the auto manufacturers trade group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, reportedly said they were surprised to see the lawsuit loophole buried in the proposal's fine print. Of course, they were pleased as punch to see it. Just surprised, they said.
As it is now, roof strength standards haven't changed since 1971. Congress had long ago imposed a deadline of July 1, 2008 to improve the standards but federal safety officials at NHTSA (the federal safety agency in charge of automobile recalls) still have not gotten it done.
Industry insiders say that improving roof rollover crash safety would mean adding weight to the vehicle and that might make it tougher to meet the new fuel economy standards that come due in 2020. Come on, guys, fix the roofs now and you still have 12 years to fix the fuel economy. Who's kidding who here?
Meanwhile, long time consumer advocate Ralph Nader says that cozy ties between automakers and safety officials and the White House have gotten so bad that Congress should just shut down the regulators and start all over again with a new safety department that has teeth and is willing to use them.
Of course, that'll never happen. But there's no doubt Nader is right about the cozy relationship. Federal safety investigators need to get out of the manufacturer's bed and start enforcing safety laws again like they were meant to be enforced. You and I are the ones who ride in these cars with lousy roof standards. We don't need politicians deciding how strong the roof in your car should be.
If you've got a lemon, email or call us 1-888-331-6422 Toll Free. We can help you get rid of it. That's what we do. Everyday.
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Law and Rights
Senators Scorn Federal Safety Department
US Senators at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today scolded Bush administration officials over suspected interference with the federal government's safety investigators in Washington hearings June 4. White House officials were pushing a plan to "upgrade" roof strength safety standards when Senators apparently figured out that the real plan was to curb future lawsuits by people whose vehicle roofs collapse in rollover crashes.
The initial plan was said to be to "upgrade" the federal roof strength standards but Senators found a provision in the plan that would severely limit lawsuit damages for people who might be injured or killed by collapsing roofs if the new "upgraded" standards were adopted.
So when is an upgrade not really an upgrade? Apparently whenever federal safety investigators get into bed with big business interests. It's high time we got politics out of the safety process, folks.
Even the auto manufacturers trade group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, reportedly said they were surprised to see the lawsuit loophole buried in the proposal's fine print. Of course, they were pleased as punch to see it. Just surprised, they said.
As it is now, roof strength standards haven't changed since 1971. Congress had long ago imposed a deadline of July 1, 2008 to improve the standards but federal safety officials at NHTSA (the federal safety agency in charge of automobile recalls) still have not gotten it done.
Industry insiders say that improving roof rollover crash safety would mean adding weight to the vehicle and that might make it tougher to meet the new fuel economy standards that come due in 2020. Come on, guys, fix the roofs now and you still have 12 years to fix the fuel economy. Who's kidding who here?
Meanwhile, long time consumer advocate Ralph Nader says that cozy ties between automakers and safety officials and the White House have gotten so bad that Congress should just shut down the regulators and start all over again with a new safety department that has teeth and is willing to use them.
Of course, that'll never happen. But there's no doubt Nader is right about the cozy relationship. Federal safety investigators need to get out of the manufacturer's bed and start enforcing safety laws again like they were meant to be enforced. You and I are the ones who ride in these cars with lousy roof standards. We don't need politicians deciding how strong the roof in your car should be.
If you've got a lemon, email or call us 1-888-331-6422 Toll Free. We can help you get rid of it. That's what we do. Everyday.
Burdge Law Office
www. New Car Lemon Law .com
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemon Cars and Lemon Trucks Since 1978.
Click here to see what your state's Lemon Law says.
www. New Car Lemon Law .com
Helping Consumers Get Rid of Lemon Cars and Lemon Trucks Since 1978.
Click here to see what your state's Lemon Law says.
Subscribe in a reader- Federal Safety Investigators Hide Recall Again?
So what did federal safety investigators learn from the public spotlight's glare on their cozy relationship with Toyota? Apparently not much. On Jan. 22, 2010, CF MOTO, the US company that imports Chinese made motorcycles, reported to federal safety...
- Ford F150 Being Investigated
Federal safety investigators are checking out the '05 Ford F150 pickup truck because of consumer complaints of brake failure. The problem appears to be with the 5.4 liter V8 engine package for some reason, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety...
- Feds Investigate Stalling Cavalier Model
Federal safety investigators are looking into the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier after receiving dozens of complaints about fuel pump failure and stalling. Apparently GM has admitted to getting over 150 complaints, including some crash reports. Nhtsa, the federal...
- How Recalls Happen
The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration is the federal agency responsible for investigating unsafe motor vehicles in the US. Often working quietly to investigate and analyze vehicle safety issues, their dedication to protecting the public often...
- Jeep Investigation By Feds
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