May9
Presidential hopefuls Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton may be focusing on a 'gas-tax holiday', but another presidential candidate — Ralph Nader — is eying a reform of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nader feels the NHTSA has gotten too close with the automakers and calls it nothing more than a "consulting firm" for car makers.
Nader's latest gripe with the NHTSA involves roof strength standards. The NHTSA is considering a new standard that would replace the one that has been in place for the last 37 years. However, Nader feels that even the new standard won't be enough to protect occupants involved in a rollover crash.
Automakers have largely sided with the NHTSA, stating rollover crashes are difficult to accurately replicate and that roof collapse is rarely the cause of death, according to Automotive News. Adding stronger roof supports would also increase a vehicle's weight, which automakers argue could cause an increase in the number of rollover accidents.
Rollovers are responsible for more than 30 percent of all deaths on U.S. roads despite accounting for only 3 percent of all accidents.
Nader played a crucial role in establishing the NHTSA in 1966, but feels the organization has lost its way over the past several years. "It would be better to shut it down and start over," he said.
Nader expects to be on the ballot in 45 states.
While the current 'coziness' that corporations in general seem to feel with the current administration is probably not in the best interests of the american people, I still think this particular guy is a jerk…
Detroit will celebrate his death with a old school orgy, and sacrifices.
I concur on Nader being a jerk. How one would expect government and people not being in touch with each other? Corporations are business entities represented by people and theoretically working for interests of people (at least those who either work or own it). If government will work in vacuum our laws and regulations will be as applicable as theoretical science. There is not a fine, but a legal line separating coziness and working framework and if not government employees corporate lawyers are very well aware off.
Ya seriously what a great idea, lets take the one thing that really helps cause rollovers which is a higher center of gravity and up the fuckin anty. I have driven my fair share of SUVs and it is evident within a few minutes of driving and only a couple corners that they are incredily top heavy; stack that onto the bouncy suspension that almost all SUVs have and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. This new standard would not be a recipe my friends, but a 5 alarm chili seasoning.
Sorry Ralph, you shot your wad in the prior Presidential Elections. Even if you happen to be right, you can take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut.
He's right…the roof-crush standards are pathetic. There is no reason a modern automobile's roof should crush into the passenger compartment from a rollover. Volvo can do it why not Detroit?
No matter who Nader is and what he did or did not do, he is actually right about the need to modify old safety standards. It's always a problem when the wrong people propose the right things.
But as they say, better safe than sorry, rollover prevention must come first and electronic stability control should be made standard - not just on SUVs but for on passanger cars too.
There are no drawbacks - you can switch ESPs or DSCs off any time you like. But that would make you partially liable for multicar accident and might void your insurance if you mess it on your own.
Germans have similar principle in place on unrestricted highways - feel like driving at 250 km/h (156 mph)? Why not. Are you in an accident? No matter who's fault it was, you're also a guilty party if you drove over 130 km/h (81 mph).
The problem with what Nader saying is not that there is need for stronger roofs, but for communication between government agency and industry. Government has no means of issuing standard without consultation with industry. We don't know if NHTSA was asking industry of what needs to be done or what statistic on rollover death is or what the statistics on existing structural integrity. How agency can issue a standard that has to be voted into a law by congress without consulting with industry? This is not clear need to cut national fuel obesity, this is more complex scientific problem.
Hmmmmm, maybe if people actually knew how to DRIVE and not ride other cars @$$'s this wouldn't happen. It may also help if the drivers of milf mobile SUV's weren't SPEEDING like a bat out of hell and yaking on their cell phones.
If Ralph Nader really wants to do something good for this country, then he needs to commit hara-kiri. Nader is the worst of the worse, the lowest of the low because he's a pathetic, cry-baby, loser who has always tried to hide his own selfish interests in this shroud of concern for the greater good. He's so oblivious and out of touch that it's just sad… he doesn't realize his life has caused more harm to this country than good. It's fucking Ralph Nader's fault that we've had to endure the last seven years of retarded-cowboy policies… That's not to say that I support Al Gore in any way whatsoever, but the fact remains that ANYONE would have done less to fuck this country up. Nader even hoped that Bush would win because he knew this country would probably go to shit… so this is a man who liked the idea of his own country to go down the toilet just so he can further promote his own ideas and agenda (almost like someone on this site). He'll say he's all about the safety and protection of consumers, but he fails to realize that his anti-business, anti-American rhetoric would harm consumers more than it would help them.
And now, what is he doing again? Running for president for the umpteenth time… despite the fact that once again, he has no money, no backers or supporters, no one to vote for him, and no clue about any of it. I'm all for the establishment of a viable third party in this country because we've been witness to the inherent drawbacks our two-party system presents… but Ralph Nader isn't the fucking answer.
Bottom line - Ralph Nader is a fucking whack-job… an oblivious, self-serving jackass who would rather see no America at all if he can't have a Nader America…. While barely conceivable, Ralph Nader is a worse American than GWB.
Why do people insist on coming on here and posting novels? If I wanted to read a book I wouldn't be on here.
I hate Nader…………… a lot.
How about people take some responsibility for being SHITTY DRIVERS!!!!! If a truck driver jack-knife's on the highway, is it Peterbilt's fault? No, he should know better. If you take a turn in an SUV at the same speed you would in a low slung coupe, is it the SUV Man.'s fault? No, you should know better.
Hes had his moments, but the runs for Prez are a joke.
And this is just the beginning of Nader grabbing the attention of the media to set up his next glorious run. Which will again only hurt the Dems and help the war hero.
Ralph who??? Does anybody listen to this fool?
this is why us car companys fail. OLD PEOPLE AT THE HELM… only thing keeping Chrysler alive is the 300c sum of the Jeep range and DODGE. if they just let sum1 younger design sum of there cars and update the shit in side they will sell like hot cakes! i think the viper 300c Charger avenger and challagers are beautiful. but rest of there cars look like crap!
My fantasy is that Nader will be found in his crashed 1983 Volvo, fatally impaled upon the stick shift shaft that went up his ass and out his mouth.
Please go away you treacherous reptile
Weirdest part is, up here in the Great White North there are probably more people who know who this douchebag is than our own Prime Minister.
HRR… then maybe you shouldn't be on here. You've already shown a propensity to not understand any concepts more complex than "I like me that thar Hemi…"
Frankly, I'd like to know why some people insist on posting when they don't have a single fucking worthwhile thing to say at all?
If Ralph Nader really wants to do something good for this country, then he needs to commit hara-kiri. Nader is the worst of the worse, the lowest of the low because he's a pathetic, cry-baby, loser who has always tried to hide his own selfish interests in this shroud of concern for the greater good. He's so oblivious and out of touch that it's just sad… he doesn't realize his life has caused more harm to this country than good. It's fucking Ralph Nader's fault that we've had to endure the last seven years of retarded-cowboy policies… That's not to say that I support Al Gore in any way whatsoever, but the fact remains that ANYONE would have done less to fuck this country up. Nader even hoped that Bush would win because he knew this country would probably go to shit… so this is a man who liked the idea of his own country to go down the toilet just so he can further promote his own ideas and agenda (almost like someone on this site). He'll say he's all about the safety and protection of consumers, but he fails to realize that his anti-business, anti-American rhetoric would harm consumers more than it would help them.
And now, what is he doing again? Running for president for the umpteenth time… despite the fact that once again, he has no money, no backers or supporters, no one to vote for him, and no clue about any of it. I'm all for the establishment of a viable third party in this country because we've been witness to the inherent drawbacks our two-party system presents… but Ralph Nader isn't the fucking answer.
Bottom line - Ralph Nader is a fucking whack-job… an oblivious, self-serving jackass who would rather see no America at all if he can't have a Nader America…. While barely conceivable, Ralph Nader is a worse American than GWB
You speak the truth
and that's why Chuck Baldwin is the real choice.
I hate Nader. He delivered the presidency to GWB. So, in essence, he started the downward spiral.
I want to know how he makes money to pay his bills.
Wow, look how pissy amgoff gets about my comment on people publishing novels on here. Glad that something so stupid like that can get your pantiesin a wad. Wait until you find out what/who your wife is doing….
So we need 3" thick steel roofs, ANDDDDDDDD 35 mpg. F everyone that doesnt have a brain. THe laws of physics still apply despite technology, and they always will!
Nader is a turdbucket.
Ohh… poor HemiRR… what? Did they not make you take any English classes to get your engineering degree?? My apologies… from now on I'll be sure to use words five letters or less.. and be sure to spell them all fo-net-tik-al-lee… k?