Ralph Nader has been inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame 50 years after he launched a high-profile — and highly successful — questioning of automobile safety.
The Hall of Fame noted that Nader’s best-selling book, Unsafe at Any Speed (1966), prompted legislation that created the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The existence of NHTSA has contributed to a steady decline in traffic-related deaths since their peak in 1972, even as the number of vehicles on the road continues to grow,” stated the Hall of Fame (2016). “That Nader’s name still draws some ire among certain car enthusiasts highlights how significant his influence was on the automotive industry.”
If Nader had such a significant influence then why did it take so long for him to be inducted? Is the Hall of Fame implying that Nader has had less of an impact than other 2016 inductees, which included Alan Mulally, Micheal Manley or Roy Lunn? Or is this a token gesture to assuage those who question the industry’s social responsibility — particularly in the United States?
The news about Nader’s induction was the lead story in the July 25 issue of Automotive News (Carty, 2016). As usual, Nader offered provocative comments such as, “We have a culture in decay, and the casualty is civil society, which is the nourishment of everything.”
Nader pointed to the decline of American journalism and a lack of governmental will to properly regulate the auto industry on issues such as as faulty parts, car hacking and autonomous cars.
The story by reporter Sharon Silke Carty (2016) also discussed how “people of conscience” within the industry can still make a difference by talking to advocates like Nader when internal channels fail (go here for extended quote).
This is a well-researched and written story that displays a surprising amount of candor about the value citizen advocates can bring to the auto industry. However, it was ironic that a photograph of Nader includes Keith Crain in the background. The long-time editor-in-chief of Automotive News has hardly been a pom pom-waving cheerleader for government regulation.
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RE:SOURCES
- Automotive Hall of Fame; 2016. “Ralph Nader.” Accessed August 2.
- Carty, Sharon Silke; 2016. “Safety ‘shenanigans’ must be addressed, Nader says.” Automotive News (subscription required). Posted July 24; accessed August 2.
- Nader, Ralph; 1966. Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile. Simon & Schuster, New York, NY.
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