Category: Blog

GM Ignition Switch Scandal & The Quest For Justice


GM Ignition Switch Scandal & The Quest For Justice

February, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

The shocking history of discovery of countless tragedies – so far – is well described at

The latest legal maneuvers and the wrangling over money are reported by Automotive News.  GM quote suggests the fix continues:“In a statement, GM spokesman Jim Cain said the company believed the current plan “remains the best process to inform settlement value for the remaining cases.”” See  http://www.autonews.com/article/20160219/OEM11/160219839/gm-ignition-switch-plaintiffs-ask-to-revise-early-trial
Imagine an image of a blindfolded Justice holding scales with lives on the lighter side and money on the heavier side with a tear coming out from under the blindfold.
Lou

 

Protecting Auto Executives Not People


Protecting Auto Executives Not People

February, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Ending Recalls or Ending Defects?

The Detroit Free Press published a priceless photo of the Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind meeting with Executives of the major auto companies.   See http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2016/02/13/faa-and-nhtsa-using-similar-regulatory-playbooks/79314200/

This government-industry plan has already been criticized but continues.  So do crash deaths and injuries at a rate of nearly 100 deaths per day, 400 serious injuries per day and losses valued by DOT at $2 Billion per day.  See https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog/blog-obamavisitdetroit/ andhttps://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/VSL2015_0.pdf

President Obama has already met with auto company executives, banksters, and other corporate executives and no one in government or industry has gone to jail – not even for one day.
How much evidence do Americans need that our system of government is rigged?
One of my early assignments (late 1960s) in the Public Health Service was to examine the history of technical papers on air pollution control.  I found papers showing that the industry knew of emission control technologies that had not been applied to protect the public health.  I was later told to turn over my research to the Justice Department that was conducting a Grand Jury antitrust investigation against the auto industry.  
” The powers that be in the Department, the investigating attorney told the (Nader) Task Force, thought that criminal sanctions would be inappropriate in this case.  This position was communicated to the Grand Jury, which reluctantly terminated its indictment hearing.  (Samuel Flatow the Justice Department Attorney that led the investigation) told the Task Force that, despite (Assistant Attorney General Donald F. Turner’s) position, the Grand Jury was prepared to “run away”…and return a criminal indictment.”  See Ralph Nader’s Study Group Report on Air Pollution VANISHING AIR, p. 43.
Nader has tried to tell us for 50 years.  Why have we not learned?  Have we not listened?  Have we not heard?  When will we learn?
One of our members, Marianne Karth, advises us to act now to save lives.  See http://annaleahmary.com/2016/02/act-now-to-save-lives-after-a-crash-it-will-be-too-late-they-will-never-come-back/
Lou

 

From Depths of Tragedy To Hopes For Safety


From Depths of Tragedy To Hopes For Safety

January, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Please see video on what even children understand and feel.http://annaleahmary.com/2015/12/give-1-for-iihs-crash-tests-on-5516-3-yrs-1-day-after-our-deadly-underride-crash/

Please don’t miss this video.  Please share it.

Lou

 

DOT and Auto Industry To Announce Agreement


DOT and Auto Industry To Announce Agreement

January, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

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 the Titanic sunk in 1912, it had 2,227 people on board but lifeboats for only 980 people.  1,500 people died.  The lifeboat standard was not enough. Seehttp://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1058&context=cong

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.

 

VW Stonewalls & Will Try Political Fix


VW Stonewalls & Will Try Political Fix

January, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

NY Times reports:

“Citing German privacy laws, Volkswagen has refused to provide emails or other communications among its executives to attorneys general in the United States, impeding American investigations into the company’s emissions-cheating scandal, according to officials in several states.

The revelation signals a turning point in the now openly fractious relations betweenVolkswagen and American investigators, after claims by the Justice Department, in its own inquiry this week, that the company had “impeded and obstructed” regulators and provided “misleading information.””  See

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/business/vw-refuses-to-give-us-states-documents-in-emissions-inquiries.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

AP reports

“WASHINGTON — Volkswagen’s top executive is traveling to Washington next week to meet face to face with the nation’s head environmental regulator.

VW global CEO Matthias Mueller is set to meet Wednesday with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy. EPA says the meeting was scheduled at the company’s request.” See

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/01/07/us/politics/ap-us-volkswagen-emissions.html

As we reported previously emission test cheating has been politicized for decades.  Test cheating is far deeper, wider, and more serious than the public knows and has known.  See

https://www.careforcrashvictims.com/blog/blog-cheatcircle/

Lou

 

Family Petitions President Obama for a Vision Zero Executive Order


Family Petitions President Obama for a Vision Zero Executive Order

January, 2016

Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:

Family that lost 2 daughters to crash violence asks for an Executive Order to “Save lives, not dollars.”  See

Signers of this petition help build a Safer America for all of us – forever.
Lou