Inaction by federal traffic safety agencies, who are fiercely and disproportionately influenced by industry pressure, has left all road users at risk. As a follow-up to the PBS/Frontline truck underride documentary, on June 22, ProPublica published an article which has exposed the depth of this regulatory capture and the powerlessness of safety activists to bring about change.
If I hadn’t already been aware of most of the details of this report, I might have had a hard time believing it was for real. I’m curious what you think of it. It’s a long read, but worth it!
- “The Department of Transportation allowed trucking lobbyists to review an unpublished report recommending a safety device that could save lives by preventing pedestrians and cyclists from getting crushed under large trucks. . .
- But that recommendation generated intense resistance, both internally, from department officials who challenged their findings, and externally, from trucking industry lobbyists. . .
- After meeting with trucking industry lobbyists in December, 2018, the DOT supervisor overseeing the project emailed researchers: “PLEASE delete any mention of a recommendation to develop…any regulation.” DOT Researchers Suggested a Way to Make Big Trucks Safer. After Meeting With Lobbyists, Agency Officials Rejected the Idea.
If that disturbs you (and it’s just the tip of the iceberg), please sign the petition for a National Roadway Safety Ombudsman so that this kind of regulatory capture doesn’t continue to happen:
STOP Senseless Roadway Deaths: Give Victims a Voice
It’s time to turn the tide and demand that vulnerable victims of vehicle violence be given a vigilant voice at the table. It’s time for a National Roadway Safety Ombudsman to serve the public’s best interests at the Department of Transportation.
Credit to Ken McLeod
