Contact: Amaya Smith
202.965.3500, x369
Proposed rule would give negligent corporations complete immunity
Washington, DC—Congress ordered the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to go back to the drawing board to improve a weak roof crush standard that endangers rollover accident victims and attempts to give negligent car manufacturers complete immunity.
The agency, which has not updated rollover safety standards in over 35 years, was originally scheduled to deliver a new roof crush standard to Congress by July 1. Instead of creating a modern safety standard that would make current and future cars safer, NHTSA has proposed a weak national standard that would trump efforts by states to make vehicles safer. NHTSA's proposed rule would also give corporations total immunity even if they knowingly manufacture vehicles that cannot withstand a rollover crash.
"NHTSA's proposed roof crush rule puts the profit of car manufacturers first and the safety of consumers last," said American Association for Justice President Kathleen Flynn Peterson. "This time, when they go back to the drawing board, NHTSA should strengthen roof crush standards instead of giving negligent corporations a get out of jail free card."
Read American Association for Justice’s comments to NHTSA’s proposed rule.
