The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, was founded in 1970 with the goal of curbing the number of Americans dying or getting injured in traffic collisions. The role of this agency was to create safety standards for motor vehicles, supervise recalls in case of defects, educate people and conduct research on traffic safety as well as allocate safety grants to states.
At the time the agency was created, more than 50,000 people were killed each year in car crashes in the U.S. This number reduced to 32,479 in 2011 and then gradually increased to 36,120 last year.
The Demise of the NHTSA
The NHTSA, which had more than 900 employees before the Reagan administration, has suffered many cuts in its budget since 1981 and employs now 620 people full time. The fact that no one was heading the agency over the past four years also has resulted, according to safety advocates, in its failure in achieving traffic safety. In fact, the agency got even more delayed in developing new safety regulations voted by Congress years ago and even weakened the mileage standards for motor vehicles in the fuel economy program developed during the Obama administration.
Moreover, the NHTSA has failed to actively oversee manufacturers’ safe practices. Civil settlements with the motor vehicle industry went down from 49 civil penalties totaling almost $700 million during the Obama administration to 7 penalties totaling a little more than $230 million with one penalty during the Trump administration.
Contact Our New York Car Accident Attorneys
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in any type of traffic accident in New York City, you need to immediately contact an experienced New York City Car accident attorney to protect your legal rights and get you the full compensation that you deserve. An experienced attorney can get you compensation for your medical costs, loss of wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering and any other related damages.
For more information or to Consult with an experienced New York City accident attorney, please call Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 212-385-4410.
