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April 01, 2006
NADER ATTACKS FOOTDRAGGING BY U.S. MAKERS, NHTSA
In "Innovation and Stagnation in Automotive Safety and Fuel Efficiency," a newly issued report, Ralph Nader has called on U.S. auto companies to “reverse decades-long trends of putting marketing hype before engineering quality-ignoring advanced product designs and stifling innovation from parts suppliers.” Even as some Japanese and European manufacturers “prove that advanced technology sells -- especially in safety and fuel efficiency -- the market-shrinking domestic auto industry thinks that the only path to profitability is penny pinching on parts,” the report charges. It accuses NHTSA of “foot-dragging on new safety and fuel economy technologies” and failing to “challenge manufacturers to deliver innovative solutions.”
The report presents 10 recommendations, including a return to NHTSA-contracted advanced vehicle programs like the 1970's Research Safety Vehicle, a new collaboration between NHTSA and parts suppliers; CAFE increases to at least 46 mpg for cars and 40 mpg for light trucks by 2014; and NHTSA-sponsored contests for super-efficient and extra-safe vehicle designs. It is for sale at the Center for Study of Responsive Law in Washington. Nader reportedly plans to open an office in Detroit to pursue his renewed interest in auto industry “foot-dragging.”
Posted by MVHAP at April 1, 2006 04:26 PM