DOT and Auto Industry To Announce Agreement
January, 2016
An excellent article by David Shepardson reveals a “Titanic” agreement between government and the auto industry to be announced at the Detroit Auto Show.
“The U.S. government and a group of global automakers are set to unveil a voluntary agreement at the Detroit auto show on Friday aimed at improving auto industry safety and spurring culture changes, according to company and government officials.
The accord could set the framework for further discussions on safety reforms and mark a new era of cooperation between automakers and regulators after a record-setting year of safety fines, recalls and investigations into malfunctioning vehicles made by General Motors Co (GM.N), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCAU.N), Honda Motor Co (7267.T) and others.
But it stops short of what many safety advocates have urged Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to adopt: new binding legal requirements to toughen safety rules. And automakers may be able to raise the voluntary agreement to argue against future proposed regulations, saying the accord makes legally binding rules unnecessary….”
NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said on Monday in an interview on the sidelines of the Detroit show that the agency cannot make vehicles safe simply by imposing new regulations and handing down fines. He said he hoped a deal would be announced Friday.
“We’re going to have to find new tools – that means new collaborations, new partnerships,” Rosekind said.
But the voluntary agreement will not be enforceable – and is not as tough as what some safety advocates have called for. With only a year remaining in the Obama administration, there is a shrinking window to complete new legally binding auto safety rules.” See http://www.reuters.com/article/us-autoshow-detroit-safety-idUSKCN0UP2EG20160112
How many will die?
When government and industry get together and fail to protect, the people perish. How many Americans will perish as a result of this NHTSA Industry agreement?
Since vehicle violence currently results in about 100 deaths, 400 serious injuries, costing about $2 billion each average day in the U.S.A. today, the number will be Titanic.
