Center for Auto Safety
Encyclopedia
The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) was founded in 1970 by Consumers Union
and Ralph Nader
as a Washington, D.C.
-based lobbying group focused on the United States
automotive industry.
Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
and Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
as a Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based lobbying group focused on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automotive industry.
Accomplishments
CAS counts numerous far-reaching efforts among its successes:- "Lemon laws" enacted in all 50 states
- State laws requiring auto manufacturers to disclose "hidden" warranties to consumers
- The FirestoneFirestone Tire and Rubber CompanyThe Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
tire recall - Exposure of a potentially lethal gas tank design in General Motors pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
s - Recall of the Ford PintoFord PintoThe Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
due to its dangerous gas tank design - Improved U.S. highway safety standards administered by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
(NHTSA)