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CAS Statement on H.R. 1181, Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2015
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Statement on H.R. 1181, Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2015
Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director
June 2, 2015
The Vehicle Safety Act was designed and built in 1966 when there were 95 million vehicles on the road made by national manufacturers. Today there are 270 million vehicles on the road made by global manufacturers with sophisticated electronics and safety systems including airbags and electronic stability control. Yet America still has a 20th Century vehicle safety regulatory system with a real budget that has dropped while the workload has tripled. America needs a 21st Century vehicle safety system. America needs H.R. 1181, Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2015.
Congress passed the TREAD Act in 2000 to prevent mass vehicle defects in the wake of Firestone tires on Ford Explorers that killed over 300 people in rollover crashes. Yet more mass vehicle defects have come down the road since then including Toyota unintended acceleration, Jeep fuel tanks, GM ignition switches and Takata airbag inflators. Unless Congress moves now to pass H.R. 1181, more mass vehicle defects will occur killing countless more Americans.