Other regulations have not kept pace with changes in technology or fundamental trends in the vehicle market. To be sure, strengthening vehicle standards is a difficult task. Today there are 62, including some engaged in non-safety programs. Safety experts say that behavioral programs have a high potential payoff, as driver error is a cause or contributing factor in most accidents. But critics argue that behavior modification is no substitute for adequate safety standards, because the most careful drivers still need vehicles that will do well in a crash.
All manufacturers are . . .
But the guy in the small car is at a disadvantage. By then, it had logged reports of 37 deaths and 98 injuries. In 1974, the agency called for a stronger head restraint standard, but met with industry opposition and abandoned the effort a few years later. The federal standard for fuel system integrity has not been substantively revised since 1974. Ten years later, the rule has not been changed.