Why didn the agency subpoena information once the cases had been settled?
We’re not monitoring litigation, and therefore we would not have had the information that would have required a subpoena. That’s a bit of a non sequitur. We’re not monitoring litigation. Q: The agency has come under fire for identifying too much with the car and truck industries that it regulates. Indeed, NHTSA staffers talk about “partnerships” with the auto industry. Are cultural changes in order at the agency? A: My focus is on the mission of NHTSA, which is to reduce industry defects and save lives. It’s not focused on partnership except as it promotes safety. Q: In 1997, the NHTSA initiated an investigation into Chrysler seat-belt buckles based on just a few complaints into your hotline. That investigation led to a recall of 1.1 million vehicles. Why, then, didn’t the agency react to the information it received from State Farm in 1998, that there had been 21 claims involving Firestone tires? A: You don’t expect a seat belt to ever fail. It doesn’t take many failures, then, to warr
