The Center for Auto Safety is a

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-based 501(c)(3) consumer advocacy non-profit group focused on the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

automotive industry. Founded in 1970 by

Consumers Union A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

and

Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...

, the group focuses its efforts on enacting reform though public advocacy and pressuring the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rel ...

and automakers through litigation. For decades, it was led by Executive Director Clarence Ditlow, who died in late 2016 from cancer. Ditlow was widely admired in the auto safety community, although he also had detractors among auto manufacturers. The Center for Auto Safety is currently led by Executive Director Jason Levine.

History

The Center for Auto Safety (the Center) was founded in 1970 by Consumers Union and Ralph Nader as a consumer safety group to protect drivers. Ralph Nader, the author of ''

Unsafe at Any Speed ''Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile'' is a non-fiction book by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, first published in 1965. Its central theme is that car manufacturers resisted the introduction of safety features ( ...

'', believed that automakers and the government were not adequately regulating safety. For many years, the Center was led by Clarence Ditlow, a well-known consumer safety advocate. The Center has advocated vigorously for driver safety and automaker accountability by pressuring government agencies and automakers with many lawsuits campaigns. The Center has also published ''The Car Book'' annually, which presents the latest safety ratings, dealer prices, fuel economy, insurance premiums, and maintenance costs for new vehicles.

Lemon laws

The Center for Auto Safety counts the enacting of lemon laws in all 50 states among its greatest successes. The Center has testified over 50 times before Congressional Committees on auto safety, warranties and service bulletins, air pollution, consumer protection, and fuel economy. The Center was the leading consumer advocate in passage of Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, fuel economy provisions of Energy Policy and Conservation Act and Technical Service Bulletin disclosure in MAP-21. The Center recently succeeded in a lawsuit against DOT Secretary

Anthony Foxx Anthony Renard Foxx (born April 30, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 2013 to 2017. President Barack Obama nominated him in April 2013, and he was confirmed by a 100–0 v ...

, forcing

NHTSA The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes" rel ...

to make public all manufacturer communications to dealers regarding safety issues. Additionally, former Center Executive Director Clarence Ditlow and Ralph Nader published ''The Lemon Book'' in 1980 to educate drivers on how to avoid buying a "lemon" and what to do if they purchase one.

Recalls

The Center for Auto Safety has been involved in many campaigns to pressure automakers and NHTSA to issue recalls on dangerous car parts. Throughout its history, the Center has played a major role in numerous recalls including 6.7 million Chevrolets for defective engine mounts, 15 million Firestone 500 tires, 1.5 million Ford Pintos for exploding gas tanks, 3 million Evenflo child seats for defective latches. More recently, the Center was the main proponent for recalls of 7 million Toyotas for sudden acceleration, 2 million Jeeps for fuel tank fires, 11 million GM vehicles for defective ignition switches, and over 60 million exploding Takata airbag inflators.

Accomplishments

The Center for Auto Safety counts numerous far-reaching efforts among its successes: * " Lemon laws" enacted in all 50 states * State laws requiring auto manufacturers to disclose "hidden" warranties to consumers * The Firestone tire recall * The

Ford Pinto The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1971 until 1980 model years. The Pinto was the first subcompact vehicle produced by Ford in North America. The Pinto was marketed ...

recall due to its dangerous gas tank design * Exposure of a potentially lethal gas tank design in General Motors pickup trucks * Improved U.S. highway safety standards administered by the U.S.

(NHTSA) * Recall of Jeep vehicles with fuel tanks that could explode in rear impact * Pressuring General Motors to take action on their faulty airbags and ignition switches * Annual publication of ''The Car Book'' to inform drivers of the safety of specific models * Better protection for drivers against rollover and

roof crush Roof crush is the failure and displacement of an automobile roof into the passenger compartment during a rollover accident. Every year approximately 10,000 Americans are killed in rollover accidents, accounting for about 30% of all light vehic ...

in SUVs * Maintaining an online database of vehicle safety complaints submitted to the Center * Wrote '' Small—On Safety: The Designed-in Dangers of the Volkswagen''.

References

External links

The Center for Auto Safety
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The Safe Climate Campaign
��Official website {{authority control 1970 establishments in Washington, D.C. Automotive safety Consumer rights organizations Organizations established in 1970 Political advocacy groups in the United States Ralph Nader