Since when does the auto industry only improve when forced to by the government?
Asked by
josie (
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June 9th, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05sun1.html?_r=2&scp=9&sq=editorials&st=cse
This editorial makes that outrageous claim.
It does not mention the first big change, namely the introduction of the automobile in the 19th century.
Subsequent improvements such as self-starters, automatic transmissions, power brakes, and power steering, were made by the industry without the presence or action of government regulators.The only changes “Detroit” is forced to make is the ones that consumers do not want. No wonder the automakers are going broke
So what kind of stupid claim is this.
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7 Answers
The auto industry did absolutely nothing to improve auto safety for decades until the government made them during the 60’s and 70’s.
And I’m sure lots of consumers didn’t actually care about having safer cars, either.
It was still the right thing to do.
Safety improvements. They did not make safety improvements until forced to.
The US. auto industry is notoriously slow to respond or even understand consumer demand. The didn’t recognize the damage the Japanese small car could do to their market and possibly still don’t. Until recently, they would rather buy and bury an innovation that would improve quality, or gas mileage because they think that it would harm their current market.
I once told my company president that he should immediately fire employees that use the excuse “we’ve always done it that way”. I think he did and they moved in to being auto industry executives.
I notice most innovations from GPS to blue tooth technology started with foreign competition firsts. Even American innovations like heads up displays were used on BMW’s before Fords. American companies are still making more selling SUV’s and trucks than good mileage cars.
To this day, they are fighting the CAFE standards which set the minimum mileage for the company’s fleet. It is just plain stupid from a long tradition of stupid. The last automotive innovator was probably Henry Ford, the first.
The automakers went broke because they made fugly cars nobody liked. The government forced no such designs.
Anybody old enough to remember how bad air quality was in cities before the 70s should understand that automakers weren’t doing anything about emissions until the government took the lead.
It’s an externality. Everybody is affected, everybody has to go forward together.
That’s why we have sewers and running water and roads. It’s called civilization.
@jaytkay entrenched corporations don’t like it when people insist on a decent environment that interfers with their profits and business “like we always did before”.
Keep your laws off my Truck Nutz.
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