Category: Blog

At a time in history when we have more safety technologies and safety science than ever before, we still lack even a national Vision Zero goal for auto deaths and serious injuries.

“U.S. Rep. Roger Williams fired back Thursday against questions raised about an amendment he made to a transportation bill last week.

In an article that ran in the Star-Telegram, the Center for Public Integrity stated that Williams, a longtime local car dealer, amended the transportation bill approved by the House to let auto dealers lend or rent vehicles that are up for safety recalls….

Although Williams made references to recalls like the stickers on the windshield visor, the exemption for the auto dealers applies to any recall, said Clarence Ditlow III, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington-based advocacy group.

“His examples are a red herring,” Ditlow said, adding that the examples Williams gave of typos in manuals and stickers are fixed by the auto companies sending the auto owner a letter — which means that the car would not be “under recall” for those things.

The reason for the original Senate amendment, Ditlow said, is the concern of Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., about a rental car under recall in 2004 that resulted in the death of two sisters. Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, 24 and 20, of Santa Cruz were killed while driving a recalled Chrysler PT Cruiser with a steering problem from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Boxer opposes Williams’ amendment.

Ditlow said: “It’s a horrible amendment. No one should be given a loaner car on an outstanding recall. It’s a crash waiting to happen.”

Williams’ amendment is part of the highway bill in conference between the House and Senate and is expected to be concluded by Dec. 4.

Henry Jasny, senior vice president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, when told that Williams was an auto dealer, said: “Has a self-interest. It’s bad for his clients, his customers who he gives a loaner to. We don’t think any car should be rented or loaned to the public without a repair.”

No investigation

Williams said there’s no ethics investigation against him.

“I chose to apply some common sense to legislation that specifically intended to further over regulate small businesses and increase burdens on Main Street while they are still trying to survive in this Obama economy,” he said. “My minor, technical amendment reined in the federal government, and it passed the House unanimously.

“I remain committed to continuing to fight for my district, for my state and for all Americans against an administration that continues to choke small businesses.”

The Center for Public Integrity “stands 100 percent behind its reporting on this story,” its Executive Editor Gordon Witkin said.”  See

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article45527889.html

Please see consent order p. 8 for schedule of payments.  Only $20 million to be paid before 2016 election.   Senators Blumenthal and Markey noted that 8 deaths have been reported so far and that“Meager fines do nothing more than change the costs of doing business and provide no meaningful deterrence…”

For Immediate Release:

November 3, 2015

BLUMENTHAL, MARKEY STATEMENT ON NHTSA-TAKATA SETTLEMENT

Takata will be fined maximum $200million in penalties for concealing information about deadly safety defect in airbags 

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), members of the Senate Commerce Committee, issued the following statement today on the Consent Order issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to Takata Corporation, which fines Takata up to $200million for the company’s failure to immediately report a known airbag safety defect, which has caused eight deaths and dozens of injuries. Takata must pay $70million and faces up to an additional $130million in fines for failure to comply with NHTSA’s order. NHTSA also for the first time used its authority to accelerate recall repairs.

“Meager fines do nothing more than change the costs of doing business and provide no meaningful deterrence for continuing reprehensible and irresponsible behavior that costs countless preventable injuries and lives. Today’s action provides further evidence that the cap on civil penalties levied by NHTSA must be eliminated by Congress, and we must also reform the criminal penalties associated with concealing life-saving information about defects from the public. We have a rare opportunity to address this in the Surface Transportation Bill, but Republicans have instead failed to pass meaningful reforms to change the behavior of auto companies that choose profit over human life.”

The Senators are right.   Compare the DOT Settlement with the DOT Policy Guidance of $9.4 million value of a statistical life.   Eight deaths so far multiplied by $9.4 million = $75.2 million. See DOT Policy athttps://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/VSL2015_0.pdf

Cally Houck mother of two daughters killed in a rental Chrysler vehicle has a petition on legislation that has gained the support of nearly 200,000 signers.  But Fiat – Chrysler is fighting back – and our continued support is needed.

See Judge’s opinion on GM settlement at http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202740396196/Federal-Judge-Slams-Shocking-DOJ-Deal-with-GM-Over-Safety-Defect