Fed want safety data kept secret?
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Although it seems like President Bush has issues meeting with the auto industry, his government is working hard to protect carmakers from themselves.
NHTSA recently proposed that potentially important safety information, such as consumer complaints, warranty claims and information on vehicles involved in deaths and injuries should be kept confidential. They stated that releasing this type of information could result in "substantial competitive harm." Are you kidding me?
Current market conditions unfortunately force automakers to get the latest, greatest vehicles to market quickly in an effort to remain competitive and stay financially viable. This announcement proves what is really important... money. If automakers were truly concerned about consumer issues, maybe they would consistently build vehicles that didn't have to be recalled multiple times, often in reaction to the above mentioned customer complaints, warranty issues or accidents. But if that were the case, what would the folks at NHTSA have left to do?
[Source: Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dr. Faustus 7:34PM (11/04/2006)
Showing once again that the USA has the best government money can buy!
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RZ 3:47PM (11/04/2006)
Great, i am glad Bush did it right in time for election. He is trying so hard to make sure that hippies take control of the house and senate i simply feel i have to help him in doing just that.
I wonder who was the biggest automaker that asked Bush to help them with this? It has GM and Ford once AGAIN written all over it.
Why you aks? Because Ford has had one of the biggest recalls in history in last two year and they had that firestone thing and now Escape SUV thing.
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CH 3:55PM (11/04/2006)
Careful now! The source article said:
"The government proposed Tuesday to keep confidential some vehicle safety data covering consumer complaints, warranty claims and information on vehicles involved in deaths and injuries."
I think we need to understand what specific data the proposal references, before launching into arguments for or against.
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Taylor Alexander 3:52PM (11/04/2006)
Wow, so in case anyone was unsure... our government officially hates us. What about that whole "by the people, for the people" thing? Bah, F' that, the people aren't that important anyway...
-Taylor
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Mike 3:57PM (11/04/2006)
GM and Ford? Pfft, more like Hyundai, and Kia. Who did Toyota partner with for safety equipment most recently? GM... And incase you didnt notice, this will apply to ALL Automakers, Toyota, Honda, etc included.
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iQuack 3:59PM (11/04/2006)
Ridiculous! The silly Democrats blamed Reagan for sun spots in the 1980s and this accusation makes no sense at all. Likely that some of these agencies are loaded with Democrat hacks--they're not all Republicans or Independents.
The more info--both good and bad--about car safety the better. Informed shoppers are smart shoppers.
In any case, when the Democrats are running things as they surely will be sooner or later, taxes will go up and we'll all be buying fewer or cheaper cars because the government will have our money instead of us!
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RZ 4:36PM (11/04/2006)
IQuack, good point about Dems but most people in these againsies are nominated by Prez, so where there are godless maggots in there mostly the members are Republican nomenies.
""The more info--both good and bad--about car safety the better. Informed shoppers are smart shoppers""---how can consumer make an informed desision if government hides the feedback. Also if government will hide data some of those independant quality measurers like Consumer Report, JD Power or whoever else.
I pay taxes, why is government agains me? I mean first that corporate whore Bush introduses that scam of ethanol, later refuses to increase fuel economy and now hides this.
I see no other choise but to vote for godless maggosts on Tuesday, but more importantly Bush made the word conservative an insult.
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David 4:42PM (11/04/2006)
Yes I agree it's the Democrats. The Democrats are behnid this. They want us driving crappy unsafe cars. They're the evil necrophiliacs who've spent our surplus and our children's future into oblivion, creating the largest deficits as far as the eye can see, covered-up, lied and invaded a country that had not attacked the US.
They too became involded in the largest uber lobbyist scandal of the century, chased young underage pages for sex.
Aligned themselves with the almighty and decried homos, except that we know that they are the party who seem to have them all secretly closethed.
Yes, it's the democrats, they've been secretly running things running things for the last six years, except that we didn't know it and now if they ever get in power they might raise taxes, and force us into driving crappy unsafe cars.
It's the Democrats stupid.
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whofan 4:54PM (11/04/2006)
Goerge W. is a moron period.
Easy for me to say being a Democrat. If I were Republican I`d jump ship.
The working class is the backbone of this country.
I miss the good ole days, when the worse a president done was get a blow job fron an intern.
Bush has sent us back 20 years.
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Rafael 5:51PM (11/04/2006)
The agency agreed to keep warranty claims and consumer complaints confidential after automakers said releasing the data could harm competition. That led to consumer group Public Citizen suing in March 2004 to get access to the data.
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doglet 6:11PM (11/04/2006)
anyone ever feel like the government is working for everyone but the public? how in the h does the NHTSA make a move the so obviosly designed to help the auto industry at the expense of... gee i dont know... national highway traffic SAFTY?!
btw, how can anyone possible blame the democrats for this, you would have to be some sort of brainwashed retarded jellyfish to make a claim like that. the blame for the complete shitstorm that is the federal government falls squarely on those in charge during its stunning and all encompassing decline. ill let you figure out for yourself who that is.
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gooj 7:28PM (11/04/2006)
It's all part of the Fascist Bush Administration. Bush loves war and hates democracy. He wants MORE government and MORE power. He seems to have forgotten that he is a Public Servant and works for us, not the other way around. Everything he touches, turns to sh*t. Period, end-of-story.
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RZ 8:27PM (11/04/2006)
Who thinks GM and Ford and the UAW are behind this? And when i say behind this, i mean they are basicaly the only ones who presured the government into this.
Raw deal, folks, raw deal.
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TImmay 8:59PM (11/04/2006)
Oh no yes here it comes yes watch out its the exploding pinto (escape)!
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Chris Goldrick 9:07PM (11/04/2006)
Of course automakers are concerned with safety! Now I'd think that they'd want to keep their customer base ALIVE so that if perchance a customer got into an accident, the automaker who made the vehicle would at least have a chance of getting another sale!
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Tim UF 9:28PM (11/04/2006)
of course one type of car being consistently unsafe will lead to competitive harm! thats the frikkin point of market competition! the best product wins!
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Bob Zeliff 11:01PM (11/04/2006)
Just one more proof that the Bush Administration appointees know know bounds in their corruption.
Bush is all about money and power. He is taking from us all. What is the real dismaying aspect is that so many Americans still support him and his Neo-Cons, especially the evangical churches buy right into this corruption. One of their own I guess.
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Tom Design 11:13PM (11/04/2006)
Ironic we're fighting a war for freedom and democracy in IRAQ? Maybe we need to focus on the criminals running things in the U.S.A.?
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That One Person 11:49PM (11/04/2006)
Yea RZ, it's not our idiot president (or congress) that are making these dumbass decisions. It's Ford, GM and the UAW. THEY ARE BEHIND EVERYTHING, PEOPLE! They are the ones who started the "War on Terror".
RZ...you need to shut up for once. Partly because you have no clue what you are talking about. And you need to shut up because everything you say just makes us all a little bit dumber. I dont think we wanna be as dumb as our great George W. Bush...
And I believe you are the only one who thinks Ford, GM and the UAW is behind all this.
Anyways, Bush is an idiot.
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Troll House Cookie 12:28AM (11/05/2006)
Just wait'll Nancy Pelosi and her lefty minions raise your taxes and all you dumb Democrats won't have the pennies to buy the cars you want 'cuz YOUR money will be transferred via the IRS to slobs and creeps to buy their votes.
Meanwhile, the limousine liberals (Pelosi, Kennedy, Kerry, and all these other phonies) will continue to drive or be chauffeaured in their SUVs. Do as they say, not as they do.
Yeah, the Democrats have it right--we'll just tax our way to prosperity!
And when terrorists strike again, let's make sure that Pelosi negotiates with the terrorists as I'm certain she can skillfuly do. Stuff these people!
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