Issues
When AVs crash, limited data access can impede investigations
This opinion piece, written by Center for Auto Safety Executive Director Jason Levine, originally appeared in Axios. In these early stages of development, autonomous vehicles raise pressing questions whenever they crash, especially if the accident involves injury or death. But when the drivers may be either computers or humans, it becomes much harder to determine…
Man Says His Hyundai Caught Fire With Daughters Inside
Jason Tellefsen said he was driving his daughters home from school when he saw smoke coming from his car. “I had the girls in the backseat and all of a sudden the whole car just shut off,” he said. Tellefsen said he pulled over on the side of the road. That’s when he realized his…
A Safety-Minded Makeover for a Dangerous Brand
“It is certainly commendable that Uber would make it easier for its customers to more quickly dial 911 when they are in danger either because of an Uber driver’s behavior, or because of a crash,” Levine told me over email, “but this announcement appears to be addressing the symptom as opposed to the cause of…
Goodyear CEO Learned About Deadly RV Tire Failures As Early As 2008, Court Docs Suggest
Jason Levine, the Center for Auto Safety’s executive director, said the new documents “confirm our long-held belief that Goodyear has been hiding deadly incidents involving their tires from the public and the U.S. government for many years.” “Yet, our fight to bring full transparency regarding the dangers of the G159 tires, and the unconscionable actions…
Groups oppose bill to require car dealerships to notify buyers about recalls
Jason Levine of the Center for Auto Safety adds, “You shouldn’t be able to sell a car with a recall on it, whether it’s a used car, a new car or a rental car. Period. End of story.” EDISON – A network of consumer advocacy organizations is lining up to oppose a controversial consumer bill that…
Advantages of connected cars come with cybersecurity risks
This opinion piece written by the Center’s Executive Director, Jason Levine, originally appeared in Axios. The internet connectivity built into most new vehicles enables all sorts of conveniences — news, entertainment, weather and even over-the-air software updates from the manufacturer. The downside: Connected cars are incredibly easy to hack. The big picture: With 16 million…
Consumer Alert: Government’s handling of car recalls
“When the Office of the Inspector General – that’s the internal watchdog at the NHTSA – says that the NHTSA is doing a subpar job at overseeing its recalls, that’s something that should concern all of us,” says Jason Levine with the Center for Auto Safety. Levine’s group has been critical of the NHTSA’s handling…
Federal government investigating seat belt fires in Ford trucks
Click here to view the full clip from Boston 25 News.
Kias, Hyundais Spontaneously Catching on Fire, Safety Advocates Say
“What they [NHTSA] should be doing is opening into a new investigation into why Kias and Hyundais…are catching fire,” said Jason Levine from the Center of Auto Safety. “NHTSA’s failing at making sure recalls are happening as quickly as they need to, as effectively as they need to and as often as they need to.”…
The Myth That a Cleaner Car Is Less Safe Than a Dirty One
“The standard is pushing automakers to use advanced materials and other technology to cut pollution and make us all safer on the road,” Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, told us. To justify rolling back auto gas mileage and emissions rules, the Trump administration has fabricated a false conflict between safety…