Automotive News - June 9, 2008 - (Page 12)

12 • JUNE 9, 2008 opinion Congress must balance safety, mpg concerns As Congress considers environmental and safety measures that would affect the auto industry and much of the country, lawmakers must ensure that their work doesn’t have severe unintended consequences. For example, the Warner-Lieberman bill before the Senate is designed to curb global warming by, among other things, reducing the amount of gasoCongress may decide line burned by cars and trucks. But proposals for much that the benefits stronger vehicle roofs could have the opposite effect. of increasing the The safety-or-mileage issue is strength of vehicle not new. But it was raised again last week by the Alliance of Auroofs and pillars tomobile Manufacturers. In testimony prepared for a Senoutweigh improved ate hearing about how the National Highway Traffic Safety fuel economy. Administration should revise the current roof-crush standards, the alliance said strengthening the roofs and pillars of large pickups and SUVs would add weight and could reduce fuel economy by 10 percent. As Americans are screaming for more fuel-efficient vehicles, automakers are trying to satisfy customers and comply with more stringent federal fuel economy standards. Safety experts aren’t certain how many deaths legitimately can be attributed to roofs crushed in vehicle rollovers. About 10,000 Americans die each year in rollover crashes, but many are ejected or die for reasons other than roof collapse. The number of rollover accidents is likely to decrease naturally as consumers move away in droves from the big, topheavy trucks that tend to tip. As electronic stability control and side airbag curtains become standard, there ought to be further declines in rollovers and ejections. Another industry group, the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, said it supports enhanced roofstrength standards as part of a comprehensive effort to limit rollovers. The initiative also would include improved technology, driver training and consumer awareness. Ultimately, Congress may decide that the benefits of increasing the strength of vehicle roofs and pillars outweigh improved fuel economy. If so, it ought to indemnify automakers with vehicles that meet the new roof standards from lawsuits filed by plaintiffs claiming roofs aren’t strong enough. Lawmakers would do well to remember the basic principle that reminds physicians to consider the damage a medical procedure might cause: First, do no harm. That’s the $64,000 question. Will it go away, or is the shift in consumer preferences permanent? There are many who see this as a watershed; something that is real and has stunned the North American continent permanently. It has never happened before. Well, that part’s simply wrong. When we had the first oil crisis in the early 1970s, the Arabs stopped shipping us oil. Completely. Prices doubled overnight. Doubled. Three years later, they doubled again. It was the first of many warnings that the Detroit manufacturers and the nation have had over the years, and they all kept their heads buried in the sand. Gasoline redoubled and has been going up ever since. Just add China and India as consumers, and anyone with a lick of sense knew what was happening. But we’ve ignored it for 35 years, and our government will continue to ignore it. The question to the Detroit 3 is simple: Will consumers adjust to higher fuel prices as they always have in the past, or is $4 a DAILY AUTO NEWS >> You can get the news you need every day. Go to www.autonews.com/signup and sign up for our daily e-mail newsletter. Is the gas crisis real or just temporary? gallon the make/break point where there will be permanent consumer shifts away from pickups, SUVs and large cars? That’s the multibillion dollar question. I know consumers will come back to pickups and SUVs — not as many as before, but they will return. Americans will start to move to more fuel-efficient, but not necessarily smaller, vehicles. North America is a unique automobile market in the world, and Americans will figure out how to adjust their lifestyles for higher energy costs, just as people have been doing in Europe for decades. Americans will still go on long-distance vacations in their cars and buy and tow trailers, and soccer moms will continue to shuttle around car/van loads of kids. Americans will continue to live a long way from work in large, fuel-inefficient homes. They will continue to spend their money at fast-food restaurants. They have and will have different lifestyles from Europeans and Asians. It will take awhile to readjust, and during the readjustment period, there will be a lot of hand-wringing, and long-range decisions are going to be made incorrectly in a moment of panic. The Japanese, Koreans, Chinese and the Europeans aren’t going to change their product plans. They had it right for them before, and they have it right now. The Detroit 3 are going to do some soul searching. They will have to learn flexible manufacturing or die. They have to be able to change quickly from one model to another. After some time, Americans will adjust to higher energy prices as they have over the past 35 years. Until the next oil shock. They may want smaller, more fuel-efficient engines and diesels, without the tax penalty, but they want vehicles sized for America — and not necessarily American vehicles. It’s too important a time to panic. Let’s hope there are some long-range thinkers in Detroit. and reinforce safe driving habits using new techniques. An interactive driving simulator and Nintendo Wii put students in situations where they must avoid distractions, recognize hazardous situations and make good judgments while driving. Effective education, coupled with modern safety technology and thorough regulations, has the most impact on reducing injuries and fatalities. Driver responsibility is the key. If drivers of all ages start to follow the basic tenets of safe driving, that will reduce injuries and fatalities more than anything else. ROBERT FISHER Senior Vice President Takata Auburn Hills, Mich. What about poor driving? To the Editor: Kevin McDonald’s column missed one other vital policy that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should address, that of the driving test and general vehicle operating principles. Americans are shoddy drivers. They don’t use their turn signals correctly, and 50 percent of the time they don’t use the signals at all. They will sit in the fast lane at a slower speed than other motorists. When making left turns, they will drift out of the lane to cut the corner. All of these and other poor driving habits contribute to the accident statistics. The driving test and driver education need to mirror European standards. Wouldn’t it be novel but educational for a police officer to pull over a motorist who has not used his turn signal in his last five turns? ANDY PEAK Operations Manager Jaguar, Land Rover Vehicle Processing Center Baltimore see LETTERS, Page 14 THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE INDUSTRY Established in 1925, published every Monday by Crain Communications Inc. Keith E. Crain, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Peter Brown, Associate Publisher and Editorial Director David Sedgwick, Editor Edward Lapham, Executive Editor HOW TO REACH US Web site: www.autonews.com Editorial staff autonews@crain.com Phone: 313-446-0361 Fax: 313-446-0383 Circulation Advertising subs@crain.com rgreer@crain.com Phone: 888-446-1422 Phone: 313-446-6050 Fax: 313-446-6777 Fax: 313-446-8030 Editorial data/research To locate information that has been published in Automotive News, call 313-446-1662. Customer service To start or renew a subscription or to report an address change or a delivery problem, e-mail subs@crain.com or call 888-446-1422 (in the U.S. or Canada) or 313-446-1662 (in all other locations). AUTOMOTIVE NEWS (ISSN 0005-1551) is published weekly at 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2997. Periodicals postage is paid at Detroit, MI and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AUTOMOTIVE NEWS, Circulation Department, 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit, MI 48207-2912. Canadian Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement #40012850, GST#136760444. Canadian return address: 2-7496 Bath Road, Mississauga, ON L4T 1L2 Printed in the U.S.A. There’s no substitute for safe driving To the Editor: Kevin M. McDonald, assistant general counsel at Volkswagen Group of America, hit the nail squarely on the head in his May 26 column about the need for a heightened focus on driver responsibility when it comes to safety efforts (“Safety efforts must focus on the driver”). Safety regulations are beneficial, but regulations do not prevent accidents caused by human error, recklessness or driver distraction. Especially now during graduation and prom season, heightened awareness while driving is crucial. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for high school-age students, and the majority of teenagers killed at night are not wearing safety belts. As an automotive safety company and the world’s leading safety belt manufacturer, Takata produces airbags and safety belts to help keep drivers and passengers safe. But drivers and passengers must use the safety equipment available and practice safe driving habits. Takata’s new Safe Driver teen driving education program is designed to teach We invite letters from our readers. Please limit your letter to 250 words and tell us whether we may print it. We reserve the right to edit it. Include your name and title, the name of your company, your city and your state. Also include your phone number or your e-mail address. E-mail letters to: autonews@crain.com Or send them to: Letters Automotive News 1155 Gratiot Ave. Detroit, MI 48207-2997 http://www.autonews.com/signup http://www.autonews.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - June 9, 2008

Automotive News - June 9, 2008 Hummer Bummer: A death sentence? New F-150, Ram in peril as big pickups collapse Japanese can add small cars faster than Detroit 3 Battery shortage hurts hybrid sales 2 key overseas staffers move to Automotive News in the U.S. Toyota may add Camry to Indiana truck plant Mazda extends warranty on RX-8 rotary engine CAW to consider strike against GM Porsche's new 911 GM plans big ad push for its big hybrid SUVs Chrysler cuts fees to outside service firms 5% Toyota considering 'Made in U.S.A.' Prius Congress, Bush square off over rollover suits GM finance whiz changed the industry GM's big SUVs may get lighter Harbour Report: Chrysler, Toyota most efficient Spring intros can be dicey Ford spends big on MKS ad launch Media buyer for GM cuts 25 jobs Sources: GM poised to buy Cobasys GM dealer program rebounds Mazda updates the RX-8 New Maxima is a tad smaller — but more buff Congress must balance safety, mpg concerns Is the gas crisis real or just temporary? What about poor driving? There's no substitute for safe driving Lack of regulation foils safety laws Sticker law cleaned up a pricing mess Lithia to sell outlets, delay used-car stores Nielsen likes to step off the beaten path GM union local strives to pull parts jobs in-house JCI will open Ga. plant to supply Kia Dealers: Be open about credit problems Finance venture has $1 billion Picture this Personnel Dealers BMW purchasing chief 'looking for waste' Nissan Mexicana gets new chief Ford Flex output begins Hyundai Genesis: $33,000 Ford buys more from minorities Audi's U.S. chief: Brand can handle high gas prices May in Detroit: Scary, not merry Infiniti FX starts at $41,765 Lincoln: 8,600 MKS orders Plastics supplier sees growth Jenkins gets Aston Martin post Smith is CEO of Jaguar, Land Rover Kremlin watching, Chrysler style Toyota breathing down GM's neck on monthly U.S. sales PR chief Steve Harris: At GM through '08 Small-car surge is a replay of 1979 Auto execs would benefit from some store experience Mini's mixed results: Sales soar, quality stumbles Nice car — so what's the ppmpg? Volt's good PR got struck by lightning

Automotive News - June 9, 2008

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