Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Attached is our May 2014 Report that updates GM and NHTSA’s failures to protect the public from crash deaths and serious injuries.
Hoping this helps prevent more crash victims.
Associated Documents:
Category: Blog
NHTSA Celebrates EMS Week May 18-24, 2014
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
NHTSA celebrates its 40th Anniversary of EMS Week with a Selfie message from its EMS Director Drew Dawson.
See http://ems.gov/newsletter/aprilmay2014/letter_from_director.htm#
Drew joined NHTSA over a decade ago from many years with Montana EMS. When he arrived at NHTSA a decade ago, I thought I would show him the possibilities of saving the lives of more crash victims with new technologies of Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) and URGENCY software to improve timely, optimal emergency medical care.
I showed him a map of crash deaths by location in the State of Montana thinking he would be delighted as to how we could do better saving lives with instant notification of serious crashes along with URGENCY information on the calculated probability of a serious injury being present.
I was shocked by his reaction. He became visibly upset and said those people were DRT’s!
I had not heard that term before so I asked what it meant. He said DEAD RIGHT THERE!
I returned to my office dismayed but determined to continue research on ACN & URGENCY without his support.
One can see how many Americans have died in crashes in Montana and every other State for the years 2002 – 2011 at
Montana totals now approach nearly 3,000 crash deaths. National totals to date now exceed 400,000 crash deaths. See http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811754AR.pdf
What a legacy!
NHTSA certainly could have done better — much better.
Sorry I was not able to do better.
More Evidence of NHTSA and GM’s Failures to Protect Americans
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Please see latest Center for Auto Safety letter and attachments at
And see excellent CNBC Documentary with voices of victims at
Hopefully these will help improve safety.
Associated Documents:
Friedman Stalling Recalls Letter with Attachments
Number of Crash Deaths Counted by NHTSA are Much Higher Than Reported in FARS
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
In the year 2012, NHTSA counted 33,561 crash deaths in FARS.
But that number should higher by about 1,600 more crash deaths that occurred – just not in traffic – according to NHTSA’s ironically named Not-in-Traffic Surveillance (NiTS) data system. About 260 of these 1,600 people killed each year, but not reported in FARS, are children.
See Latest NHTSA NiTS Reports attached.
NHTSA was finally forced to report such data as a result of demands spurred by tragedies, crash victims, lawyers, advocates, and an Act of Congress.
See Center for Auto Safety’s years long campaign “Missing in FARS” at http://www.autosafety.org/campaigns/24
Crash victims and safety advocates can and do make a difference when officials in all three branches of government – and people in the media – act responsibly.
See just one tragic story at http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/east/2013/12/09/241085.htm
Why does it take so many tragedies before government does the right thing? Even just counting tragedies?
Associated Documents:
Traffic Safety Facts – DOT HS 811 812
Traffic Safety Facts – DOT HS 811 813
GM Cost U.S. Taxpayers Another $826 Million
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
“U.S. taxpayers are taking a bigger loss on the General Motors bailout package than $10.3 billion originally reported. Due to an accounting error, the loss is actually $11.2 billion, according to a report released today.
The Treasury Department reported an $826-million administrative claim had been written off on March 20. However, the claim, which has not been revealed, cannot be written off….”
“Others suggest that GM should repay the losses, but that notion was dismissed by then-CEO Dan Akerson, who told an audience at the National Press Club last December that the government took a risk like any other investor – including those wiped out when GM filed for Chapter 11 protection.”
Source: http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2014/04/taxpayers-taking-bigger-hit-on-gm-bailout/ and http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/us-autos-gm-treasury-idUSBREA3T0MR20140430
Oh well, former GM CEO Dan Akerson says the taxpayers took a risk just like any other investor. And $826 million compares with about 90 lives lost when valued at $9.2 million per statistical life in accordance with DOT policy. See attached DOT policy.
$9 million happens also to be the amount GM paid Dan Akerson in 2013. One DOT life’s worth = 1 year of GM CEO income. See https://www.cnbc.com/2014/04/25/gm-awarded-former-ceo-akerson-about-9m-in-2013.html
NHTSA has data on how many lives are lost each year in GM crashes but does not publish such figures.
We can do better than this, but it may take additional tragedies before we do.
Associated Documents:
“Untold Heartache” of Crash Victims & GM Recall
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
The NY Times published an excellent story and video of the heartaches suffered by crash victims in GM crashes.
“Mr. Erickson, 25, was one of the 13 victims whose deaths General Motors has linked to an ignition switch defect that can cause a loss of power in cars, according to an email that Mr. Erickson’s mother, Rhonda, received from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Ms. Erickson asked the federal agency whether her son was among the 13 victims at the request of The New York Times, which has compiled the identities and circumstances of 12 of the deaths, as well as information about the vehicle involved in the 13th, based on interviews, accident databases and communications from federal regulators.
The email to Ms. Erickson last week was the first time the family had been told that anything other than negligence by Ms. Anderson contributed to the accident.”
See http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/business/13-deaths-untold-heartache-from-gm-defect.html?hp
The NY Times Timeline reveals that two lawsuits were settled by GM under CEO Dan Akerson while NHTSA was headed by David Strickland. Neither Akerson nor Strickland have been called to testify yet.
“September 2010
G.M. Daniel Akerson becomes CEO.
February 2011
Accidents and lawsuits
The Chansuthus family settles its lawsuit against G.M. Even though Ms. Chansuthus’s blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, the company pays the family an undisclosed amount….”
“September 2013
Accidents and lawsuits G.M. settles the case involving Ms. Melton, paying the family an undisclosed amount.”
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/18/business/gms-ignition-problem-who-knew-what-when.html
The powerful voices of victims can help GM and NHTSA realize that: What is not good for the people is not good for GM, NHTSA, or anyone working in the auto industry.
Hopefully, stories of crash victims will bring us all closer to the day when the century of auto industry war against safety ends. As can be seen from the U.S.A. Crash death clock, accessed this morning, about 3,633,788 people have died of crash injuries. That indicates a lot of “Untold Heartache.” See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/clock.php
Canadian Video of Nader – Nearly 50 Years and Two Million Crash Deaths Ago
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
Nader told about safety problems that persist to this day. See
