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Congress Wonders Whether SUVs Dangerous
Aired February 26, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As you prepare the kids for a ride in your roomy SUV, we want you to know your vehicle is under fire again. First it was unpatriotic to drive an SUV. Now Congress wonders if they're dangerous.
We take you to Capitol Hill live and our Julie Vallese to tell us about a big hearing that's going on today -- good morning.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
When the nation's top traffic safety administrator, Dr. Jeffrey Runge said sports utility vehicles pose an astounding threat to their owners and that if an SUV with a two star rollover rating was the last one on earth, he wouldn't let his kids drive it, traffic safety groups were applauding. Manufacturers were fuming. But Congress came calling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice-over): The safety community considers them the bad boys of the nation's roadways. But the overall American community has made them the most popular vehicles on the road. And as the popularity of the light trucks has risen, so has concerns over their safety.
Joan Claybrook was head of the National Traffic Safety Administration from 1977 through 1981. She'll testify the problems of 20 years ago are the same today.
JOAN CLAYBROOK: SUVs can be made safer. They should be made safer. The manufacturers have resisted, bobbed, weaved, avoided, delayed, lobbied Congress, lobbied the White House to avoid having any federal requirements to make them safer.
VALLESE: But manufacturers say vehicles are safer than ever before, with the best technology available. They will tell Congress safety is a shared responsibility.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to reassure them that they are very safe vehicles and we also want to remind them that they do handle differently than passenger cars. And while we can do a lot with technology and we'll continue to do that, they own part of the equation in terms of improving safety, and that's wearing their safety belts and driving responsibly.
VALLESE: One group that Congress won't hear from at the hearing are consumers. A statement from rollover victim Sandy Turner will be entered into the official record, asking government to take action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE: Now, while all sides testifying today will agree that the issue of improved traffic safety needs addressed, the what and how is where they'll draw the line.
Reporting live from Capitol Hill, I'm Julie Vallese -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, Julie, you have to wonder what took Congress so long, because this is not a new problem. It's been out there for some time.
VALLESE: It has been out there for some time, but law makers and the federal government was hoping that manufacturers would take care of the problems by themselves. The manufacturers will tell you that they are addressing the issues and the problems. But now law makers want to kind of look over their shoulder and make sure that they do exactly that.
COSTELLO: Understand.
Julie Vallese live from Capitol Hill this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 26, 2003 - 06:25 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As you prepare the kids for a ride in your roomy SUV, we want you to know your vehicle is under fire again. First it was unpatriotic to drive an SUV. Now Congress wonders if they're dangerous.
We take you to Capitol Hill live and our Julie Vallese to tell us about a big hearing that's going on today -- good morning.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
When the nation's top traffic safety administrator, Dr. Jeffrey Runge said sports utility vehicles pose an astounding threat to their owners and that if an SUV with a two star rollover rating was the last one on earth, he wouldn't let his kids drive it, traffic safety groups were applauding. Manufacturers were fuming. But Congress came calling.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice-over): The safety community considers them the bad boys of the nation's roadways. But the overall American community has made them the most popular vehicles on the road. And as the popularity of the light trucks has risen, so has concerns over their safety.
Joan Claybrook was head of the National Traffic Safety Administration from 1977 through 1981. She'll testify the problems of 20 years ago are the same today.
JOAN CLAYBROOK: SUVs can be made safer. They should be made safer. The manufacturers have resisted, bobbed, weaved, avoided, delayed, lobbied Congress, lobbied the White House to avoid having any federal requirements to make them safer.
VALLESE: But manufacturers say vehicles are safer than ever before, with the best technology available. They will tell Congress safety is a shared responsibility.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to reassure them that they are very safe vehicles and we also want to remind them that they do handle differently than passenger cars. And while we can do a lot with technology and we'll continue to do that, they own part of the equation in terms of improving safety, and that's wearing their safety belts and driving responsibly.
VALLESE: One group that Congress won't hear from at the hearing are consumers. A statement from rollover victim Sandy Turner will be entered into the official record, asking government to take action.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE: Now, while all sides testifying today will agree that the issue of improved traffic safety needs addressed, the what and how is where they'll draw the line.
Reporting live from Capitol Hill, I'm Julie Vallese -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Well, Julie, you have to wonder what took Congress so long, because this is not a new problem. It's been out there for some time.
VALLESE: It has been out there for some time, but law makers and the federal government was hoping that manufacturers would take care of the problems by themselves. The manufacturers will tell you that they are addressing the issues and the problems. But now law makers want to kind of look over their shoulder and make sure that they do exactly that.
COSTELLO: Understand.
Julie Vallese live from Capitol Hill this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
