“Real safety is finding and fixing defects before someone gets hurt, rather than just punishing after the damage is done,” DOT Secretary Foxx commented. NHTSA surrenders to automakers with prospective agreement on voluntary safety standards and Feds and 18 car companies team up to create new auto safety standards

I couldn’t agree with you more, Secretary Foxx. I hope to see that statement take shape in the adoption of a Vision Zero Rulemaking Policy — as we have petitioned you to do:

Save Lives Not Dollars: Urge DOT to Adopt a Vision Zero Policy

Voluntary standards might be compared to encouraging your child to do what is right but providing no tangible guidelines to which they must adhere. What does that teach the child except that there are no consequences to doing whatever they choose? What motivation is there to think of how their actions will impact others? Can you really count on your child to always put others first?  Would you want to do that when a life is hanging in the balance?

Deaths become meaningless when accountability is not assigned. And Vision Zero [moving toward zero crash deaths & serious injuries] is not really the priority when undue weight is given to industry influence upon decision-makers rather than identifying and implementing proven traffic safety measures which would SAVE LIVES.

Is it?