Mark Rosekind, administrator for the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), doubled down on his push for the auto industry to take up a more proactive approach to vehicle safety, following a year of massive recalls and record fines imposed on automakers.
Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress earlier this week, he called for a cultural change in the industry in which automakers, suppliers, sales executives and dealers work actively and collaboratively to prevent crashes, rather than responding to safety crises after they happen.
Rosekind said that while NHTSA’s enforcement actions have been important, its success as a regulator should ultimately be measured by how well it is able to cement more lasting change in safety practices across the industry aimed at preventing crashes and fatalities.
“The era of big recall is not a sign of progress. Record civil penalties are not a metric of success,” said Rosekind. “NHTSA is truly successful not when we catch safety violations and hand down penalties, but when we work together with the industry to prevent that kind of crisis from ever occurring in the first place.”
At the annual Automotive News World Congress held Jan. 12-13 in Detroit, the automotive industry’s top-tier leaders from around the globe come together to deliver the state of the industry, discuss the trends and hot-button issues facing companies today, all while looking ahead to emerging technologies and the future of transportation. This year’s World Congress marks the 40th anniversary of the global conference
