The auto industry recalled almost 64 million vehicles for safety problems last year, a record, according to figures released Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
What do we do about it?
from consumerist.com:
"...Just a month into his new gig as the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind unveiled his vision for the future of the agency, including increasing staff and creating two new divisions to help step up efforts to identify defects and alert motorists about issues and recalls.
The Detroit News reports that Rosekind’s plan hinges on the President’s proposed budget, which calls for tripling the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation funding from the current $9.7 million to $31.3 million. Under Rosekind’s proposal the current NHTSA defect team would increase staff from 28 to 56.5 full-time equivalent positions.
The agency would also use funds to hire a mathematician, two statisticians, 16 engineers and four new investigators, bringing the total team to more than 100 employees.
“We need people, technology and authority,” Rosekind said. “It’s not just about the money — it’s about what it gets us....”
Yeah, just what we need: more government spending, more government employees, and more government bureaucrats. Instead of adding more government employees, and increasing the government agency's budget by 300%, I've got a faster, simpler and NO COST way to fix the problem. Pass a new law. "Any vehicle manufacturer making a defective vehicle gets an automatic $1 billion fine. Per defect." THAT will stop the bastards from knowingly making--and selling--defective cars!
