Lou Lombardo talks about Center for Auto Safety Comments on VW Diesel Scandal Settlement:
Dear Care for Crash Victims Community Members:
“CAS Staff Attorney Michael Brooks:
“It is great news that VW diesel owners can now be reimbursed, and that Volkswagen must begin to repair the environmental damage their emissions deception caused. However, automakers will not change their illegal behavior unless the government pursues significant criminal penalties against executives who take or condone such actions. We look forward to news of federal criminal charges against the VW executives who participated in this fraud on the American public.”
Safe Climate Campaign Director Dan Becker:
“The government did a good job preventing further harm from VW’s diesel fraud. Most heavily polluting diesels will be removed from the road and cannot be resold unless fixed. Other automakers must learn from this scandal that they dare not disable pollution controls, lie to the government or fleece consumers. Those lessons will be reinforced when the government brings criminal charges against VW officals who perpetrated this fraud.”” See
http://www.autosafety.org/cas-
Lou LombardoIn fact, my Vision Zero Goals include holding manufacturers LIABLE for their actions, as spelled out in my drafted Presidential Memorandum for the Establishment of a White House Vision Zero Task Force:
Section 3. Action Plan.
(a) Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Task Force shall develop and submit proposals and recommendations to the President for a National Vision Zero Goal. This will include specific strategies for moving toward the reduction of crash deaths and serious injuries. It will also outline specific strategies for establishing national traffic safety standards which are proven to reduce crash deaths and which could then be adopted, as is, by every state. These strategies will ensure that the following will occur:
(i) address the problem of traffic safety in a coordinated manner, including the following concerns: road design and conditions; all kinds of enforcement issues to be pro-active in preventing crashes; handling of traffic safety when crashes occur; driver fatigue— acknowledging the scope, extent, and gravity of Driving While Fatigued (DWF) as a reckless behavior both for truck drivers and drivers of light vehicles, and adjusting the legal system to reflect this reality; all kinds of distracted and impaired driving; automotive safety defect issues and their resolution as a high priority issue in a timely manner; and other problems as deemed appropriate, including the need for manufacturers to be held liable for deaths due to their criminal negligence and for DOT to act with the necessary authority to issue and enforce Vision Zero safety regulations which impact not only vehicle occupants but also Vulnerable Road Users.
Excellent points Marianne!