Don’t throw auto safety in reverse

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By Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety Policy

If traffic safety were a war, we’d be losing.   

Our nation suffers approximately 40,000 deaths and 2.6 million injuries to traffic crashes each year.   

That’s enough fatalities to fill the average Major League Baseball stadium.  Enough injuries to affect nearly every resident of the state of Alabama. 

Traffic crashes cost society nearly a trillion dollars in medical bills, emergency services, lost productivity, insurance costs, workplace loss, legal costs, and property damage.  That’s enough money to buy more than 26 million mid-size SUVs; ten million more than the total number of cars sold in 2024.   

No Congressional district has been spared.  No community is immune.   

Yet, the death and destruction on our nation’s roads does not have to be the price we pay for commuting to work, dropping the kids off at school, or picking up groceries.  By harnessing revolutionary safety technologies, educating the motoring public, and improving the design, construction and performance of motor vehicles, we can dramatically improve roadway safety.   

Fortunately, there is a federal agency responsible for carrying out such activities.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is our nation’s principal automobile safety regulator, charged with reducing death and injuries associated with traffic accidents.  NHTSA carries out its lifesaving mission by establishing safety standards, investigating defects, enforcing recalls, and providing states resources for driver education, risky driving countermeasures, and roadside safety. 

NHTSA has delivered.  Safety features that were once rare and unique are now common and conventional: seatbelts, airbags, and crumple zones, to name a few.  Many of these features were adopted to comply with increasingly ambitious safety standards. The result: fewer fatalities and injuries on our nation’s roads. 

From 1968 through 2019, NHTSA’s safety standards prevented over 860,000 deaths, 49 million injuries, and damage to 65 million vehicles, generating over $17.3 trillion in societal benefits.  In 2019 alone, standards prevented 40,000 deaths, 1.9 million injuries, and damage to 3.8 million vehicles.  

NHTSA has also successfully taken unsafe vehicles off our nation’s roadways.  Since 1968, NHTSA has participated in the recall of more than 390 million vehicles, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, 46 million tires, and 42 million car seats due to safety defects.   

NHTSA has compelled manufacturers to replace tens of millions of volatile and explosive airbags, millions of defective tires prone to tread separation, and millions of sticky car seat buckles that entrap children.  The agency has facilitated the remedy of millions of vehicles with incidents of unintended acceleration, millions of faulty ignition switches that deactivate the engine and airbags while a vehicle is in motion, and “self-driving” technology that cannot safely perform the driving task. 

NTHSA is on the cusp of ushering in new transformational safety technologies that may exceed the lifesaving effects of seatbelts and airbags.  The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law mandates that NHTSA support the deployment of several sophisticated safety technologies:   

  • Drunk and impaired driving prevention technology: Over 13,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in 2022.    
  • Crash avoidance technology: Forward collision warning and automatic emergency brakes have been shown to reduce injuries associated with front-to-rear crashes by 56 percent.  Lane departure warnings could reduce single-vehicle, sideswipe, and head-on crashes causing injury by 21 percent.  Blind-spot detection has been shown to reduce lane-change crashes that result in injuries by 23 percent.   
  • Driver monitoring systems: Distracted driving claimed an estimated 12,405 lives in 2021.  Drowsy driving caused 664 deaths that same year.   

Many of these requirements are actively being implemented but are not yet finalized.   

With NHTSA on the beat, safety is a priority and not an afterthought.  It must be built into the design, construction, and performance of each vehicle.  It must be engrained in every bolt, sensor, and line of code of a vehicle.   

But this vital safety agency is under unprecedented assault.  Championed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump Administration has launched a shock and awe campaign, taking a chainsaw to the key pillars of a well-functioning government.  The indiscriminate firing of civil servants, unlawful impoundment of congressionally directed spending, and work stoppages have had deeply destabilizing effects across the federal government.  The chaos has wreaked havoc on NHTSA’s ability to carry out its most basic functions.    

Approximately 1 in 20 NHTSA employees were fired in the February purge of probationary workers.  That included researchers studying impaired driving and traffic safety measures.  Several members of the Office of Defect Investigations, which is responsible for investigating defects and mandating recalls, have been dismissed.  The Office has been increasingly scrutinizing Tesla, which Elon Musk owns.  Employees within the Department of Transportation cannot access their former colleagues’ files, making it virtually impossible to continue their work.  

Through an Executive Order, the Trump Administration has directed federal agencies to “identify at least 10 existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed” for every new rule, regulation, or guidance that is promulgated.  As of December, NHTSA had yet to finalize 19 rulemakings mandated by Congress, all through bipartisan legislation.  In the Fall Unified Regulatory Agenda, NHTSA identified 56 ongoing rulemaking proceedings, some of which had been completed prior to Trump taking office.  It may not even be possible for NHTSA to identify the hundreds of existing rules, regulations, and guidance documents necessary to finalize Congressionally directed and ongoing rulemakings while complying with the 10-to-1 rule. 

If the past is a prologue, vital automobile safety activities may fall by the wayside.  During the Biden Administration, NHTSA finalized 29 rules creating or modernizing safety standards.  The first Trump Administration finalized only nine such rules.  The Biden Administration conducted 224 investigations of potential safety defects.  The first Trump Administration initiated only 103.   

Worse yet, deeper cuts may be forthcoming.  Every federal agency was required to produce an Agency Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plan by March 13, 2025.  Such plans must seek to achieve significant staff reductions, reduced budgets, and reduced real property footprint. 

Some are calling on NHTSA’s budget to be slashed by 60 percent and the workforce reduced by 30 percent, returning the agency to 1990s-era levels.  Such plans include cutting state safety grants by 75 percent, slashing crash test facilities and testing by 75 percent, and ending vital safety initiatives like the adoption of the first female crash test dummy.  Most Americans do not want to trade in their current vehicle for a 1990s model.  We shouldn’t revert to a 1990s-era auto safety regulatory agency.   

The death and destruction on our nation’s roads is not an inevitability, but a choice. A choice to not treat traffic safety like the public health emergency it so clearly is. A choice to remain complacent.  A choice to accept the status quo.   

I contend that America should make a different choice: no more victims.  Let’s chart a course towards vision zero, in which there are no traffic fatalities or serious injuries.  And let’s ensure we equip NHTSA with the resources, staff, and authorities necessary to make that vision a reality.   

NCL hails bipartisan committee vote on TICKET act

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communication’s, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League today applauded the House Energy and Commerce committee for its overwhelming and bipartisan vote to approve the TICKET Act (H.R. 1402). The TICKET Act would, for the first time in history, ensure accountability and fairness in live event ticketing across the United States. The bill, which passed the U.S. House last Congress 388-24, was recently reported unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committee. The bill has previously received support from nearly every stakeholder in the live event ecosystem, including consumer organizations, free-market advocates, venues, artists, primary and secondary ticketing platforms, and more than 37,000 individual fans.

“The TICKET Act is the result of a hard-negotiated, bipartisan compromise that reflects the reality that the modern live event ticket-buying experience is an exercise in frustration for millions of consumers,” said John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications & Fraud. “This bill is the solution that millions of fans have been seeking to finally get rid of hidden junk fees, crack down on predatory ticket resale practices, and guarantee refunds in the event of event postponements and cancellations. We thank Representatives Guthrie, Pallone, Bilirakis, and Schakowsky for their continued support for the TICKET Act and we urge the full House to once again swiftly pass this common sense, bipartisan, consumer protection bill.”

Key provisions of the TICKET Act include:

  • Banning hidden junk fees through all-in pricing requirements;
  • Prohibiting speculative ticketing and other deceptive resale practices;
  • Requiring refunds for canceled and postponed events; and
  • Commissioning an FTC study on enforcement of the BOTS Act.

The TICKET Act’s provisions are strongly supportive of President Trump’s March 31 Executive Order on “Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Industry.” Specifically, the bill addresses the Order’s directive to “protect fans from exploitative ticket scalper practices,” “[e]nsure price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process, including the secondary ticketing market,” and “bring commonsense reforms to America’s live entertainment ticketing industry.”

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL welcomes President Trump’s Executive Order and calls for congressional action on consumer protections in live-event ticketing

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For Immediate Release: March 31, 2025

Contact: Lisa McDonald, VP of Communications 202-207-2829 or lisam@nclnet.org

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is commending President Donald J. Trump for signing an Executive Order aimed at protecting fans from exploitative ticket scalping and implementing common sense reforms in the live entertainment ticketing industry. This decisive action underscores the urgent need for Congress to pass the bipartisan Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act (S.281/H.R. 1402).

The Executive Order directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to collaborate with the Attorney General to ensure robust enforcement of competition laws within the live event sector. It also emphasizes the need for rigorous enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, promotes price transparency throughout the ticket-purchasing process—including the secondary market—and mandates action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive practices in secondary ticketing. 

“For too long, consumers have faced exorbitant prices and deceptive practices when purchasing tickets for live events,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud. “This Executive Order is a significant step toward ensuring fairness and transparency in the ticketing marketplace. It provides a clear directive to consumer champions in Congress to swiftly enact the TICKET Act.” 

The TICKET Act passed the House of Representatives last year by overwhelming bipartisan margins (388-24) last Congress and has already been approved unanimously by the Senate Commerce Committee in February. It has attracted broad support from consumer advocates, artists, venues, and ticketing platforms. The TICKET Act aims to:

  • Implement all-in pricing, ensuring consumers see the full cost of a ticket upfront, eliminating hidden fees.
  • Prohibit speculative ticket sales, preventing brokers from selling tickets they do not possess.
  • Ban deceptive resale websites that mislead consumers into believing they are purchasing from official sources.
  • Guarantee refunds for events that are canceled or postponed.
  • Strengthen enforcement against the use of bots that allow resellers to manipulate the ticket market.

“President Trump’s Executive Order highlights the critical need for legislative action to protect consumers,” added Breyault. “We urge Congress to seize this opportunity to pass the TICKET Act, ensuring that fans can access live entertainment without falling victim to unfair practices and inflated prices.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL) 

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org. 

Big banks win, consumers lose: NCL condemns effort to kill CFPB overdraft rule   

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly opposes efforts to rescind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new overdraft fee rule through the Congressional Review Act (CRA). This rule is a critical step in closing an outdated loophole that has allowed major banks to rake in billions from excessive overdraft fees—often at the expense of hardworking families living paycheck to paycheck.

“Overdraft fees have long been a cash grab by the biggest banks, preying on those who can least afford them,” said John Breyault, NCL’s Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. Rescinding this rule would be yet another example of financial institutions prioritizing profits over fairness, leaving consumers trapped in a cycle of unnecessary debt.”

For years, banks have leveraged deceptive practices to extract money from consumers, from surprise overdraft charges to excessive fees on low-balance accounts. The CFPB’s rule provides much-needed relief, ensuring families aren’t penalized for small financial missteps. Congress should stand with consumers, not the financial giants profiting from their hardships.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Historic victory for human rights: DC mayor signs child marriage ban into law   

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829   

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) celebrates the successful passage of the Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act of 2024, following the 30-day congressional review period and the signing of the legislation by Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC. This landmark law, introduced by Councilmember Brooke Pinto, now officially prohibits marriage under the age of 18 in the District of Columbia, with no exceptions.    

“This is a historic moment for DC and beyond—Mayor Bowser and Councilmember Pinto’s unwavering leadership sends a powerful message that child marriage will not be tolerated,” said Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy at the National Consumers League and Coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition. “This law provides much-needed protection for vulnerable youth, preventing the devastating consequences of early marriage and ensuring young people have the opportunity to grow, thrive, and make their own life decisions.”  

With this new law, Washington, DC, has joined the growing list of U.S. states and territories that have taken a strong stand against child marriage, protecting minors from the harmful and often devastating effects of early marriage. This victory represents a significant milestone in the global movement for the protection of girls’ and women’s human rights. The new law effectively ends child marriage in Washington, DC, following a troubling rise in cases in the city. This legislation represents a step in the right direction, reinforcing the importance of safeguarding children from the social, emotional, and health risks of early marriage.   

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)     

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

Advocacy groups urge the eighth circuit to uphold FTC’s click to cancel rule

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Five Groups led by Berkeley Law File an Amicus Brief in the Legal Challenge to the FTC’s Click to Cancel Rule. 

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC — On Friday, The National Consumers League (NCL) and four other advocacy groups joined a legal “friend of the court” brief in litigation seeking to undo the Federal Trade Commission’s popular “Click to Cancel” Rule. The brief was drafted by the Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice at UC Berkeley School of Law and focuses on the substantial record of manipulative subscription traps relied on by the FTC in crafting the Rule. 

“The effort corporations have expended to fight this commonsense consumer protection regulation has surely exceeded any direct compliance costs associated with complying with the rule,” said National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault.  “Allowing consumers to cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up is popular and should have been the law decades ago. The FTC’s Rule is long overdue and should not be stalled any longer.”  

“Americans are tired of being tricked and manipulated with subscription traps. Corporations should focus on ways to give people a transparent sign-up and cancellation process for products they actually want rather than ways to deceive and exhaust consumers into never-ending, costly subscriptions,” said Erin Witte, director of consumer protection at the Consumer Federation of America. “CFA is proud to join this brief and urge the Eighth Circuit to uphold the Click to Cancel rule.”   

“Whether it is gym memberships, news subscriptions, entertainment services, or home security services, recurring charges are easy to start but can be hard to cancel. Some companies hold consumers hostage when they no longer want to spend money on services and unfairly profit at significant expense to hardworking individuals and families,” said Shennan Kavanagh, director of litigation at the National Consumer Law Center. “The FTC’s Click to Cancel Rule is a fair and commonsense solution to this problem.” 

“The FTC Click to Cancel Rule requires that canceling a subscription should be as simple as signing up for one. Trustworthy companies should not lock customers into agreements to earn a profit,” said Ruth Susswein, director of consumer protection at Consumer Action. “Consumers deserve an easy exit policy with simple steps on how to cancel a subscription.”  

“Digital subscriptions for products and services are increasing, and so are the deceptive practices that trick people into staying and paying for them,” said Ira Rheingold, executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates. “Hopefully, the court will uphold the FTC’s reasonable click-to-cancel rule and its simple steps to help keep consumers aware and businesses honest.” 

“People sign up for services. They don’t sign up for a treadmill they can never get off of,” said Ted Mermin, executive director of the Center for Law and Economic Justice at UC Berkeley. “The FTC scrupulously followed proper procedures in creating the Click to Cancel Rule, and that rule is going to benefit everybody in this country.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.   

Consumer warning: is your DNA data at risk? 23andMe on the brink of bankruptcy

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829   

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is issuing an urgent warning to consumers regarding the recent bankruptcy filing by 23andMe, the popular genetic information company. While 23andMe claims that consumer data will be protected during the bankruptcy process, there are significant concerns about the future of your personal genetic data and health information.     

“It remains uncertain whether consumer protections and agreements will be upheld within the context of the bankruptcy proceedings,” said NCL VP of Public Policy Telecommunications and Fraud John Breyault. “Additionally, there is concern that DNA samples may be classified as assets, raising questions about who may ultimately gain access to sensitive and private health information.    

23andMe’s privacy statement reads: “If we are involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your Personal Information may be accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction.” The bottom line is that all consumers have the right to delete their genetic information from 23andMe, and it is crucial to do so before any potential changes in ownership or privacy policies occur.  NCL urges consumers to take action to protect their data 

The California Attorney General has issued a consumer alert urging individuals to exercise their rights under state privacy laws, including the right to delete their data and request the destruction of any biological samples held by the company. Even mainstream media outlets like The Washington Post are urging consumers to exercise their rights, publishing a story this morning entitled “Delete your DNA from 23andMe right now.”   

 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)     

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.  

NCL condemns illegal firings of FTC commissioners 

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

March 18, 2025: Washington, DC — Today, President Trump unlawfully terminated Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter from their positions at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Commissioner Slaughter was terminated more than five years before her term would expire; Commissioner Bedoya was terminated more than two years before his term would expire.

The Commission conducts important work to protect Americans from a range of harms, including elder fraud, children’s privacy violations, and deceptive advertising. Today’s egregious violation of the consumer protection agency’s independence jeopardizes its bipartisan mission to protect everyday Americans from marketplace harms, even those perpetrated by politically-connected individuals.

“Consumer protection work is not a partisan game,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “With consumers losing more than $150 billion to fraud each year, we need consistent and reliable watchdogs at our law enforcement agencies. The firing of dedicated public servants because they belong to the wrong political party will make the FTC’s work even harder. NCL unequivocally condemns these firings.”

Despite its hamstrung resources, the Commission does irreplaceable work to defend Americans from bad actors like scammers and monopolists. The agency returned $324 million in refunds to Americans in 2023. Every $1 of the FTC’s costs return an estimated $14 in benefits to consumers through its consumer protection and competition law enforcement efforts.

By illegally subjecting commissioners to White House control, President Trump has sent a message that common-sense consumer protection work should not continue unless it serves his political goals. Congress established independent agencies like the FTC, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Federal Elections Commission to ensure that federal oversight of critical issues is insulated from electoral, partisan, and personal games.

The Supreme Court has already ruled that a president cannot fire FTC commissioners simply for political purposes. The Supreme Court upheld this precedent as recently as 2020.

Further reading:

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL urges lawmakers to protect oversight of payment apps  

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 Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829  

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is calling on lawmakers to vote in favor of maintaining the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) larger participants rule, which establishes much-needed oversight of companies that offer services like digital wallets and payment apps—such as Zelle and Apple Pay—and ensures they are properly regulated. The rule protects consumers, making sure that all forms of payment, whether provided by traditional banks or nonbank companies, are secure and trustworthy.   

“Fraud continues to be a major financial burden on consumers, stealing an estimated $158 billion annually from American families,” said John Breyault, NCL’s Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud. “Unfortunately, Congress is considering weakening protections for digital wallets and payment apps—platforms that are often used to perpetrate fraud. While the current Administration talks about reducing fraud, its actions are instead shifting the financial burden onto hard-working Americans.”   

As more Americans use digital payment apps and wallets, complaints about fraud and unauthorized charges have skyrocketed. The CFPB’s rule will help strengthen consumer protections and ensure that these financial products adhere to privacy laws, ultimately safeguarding the public from emerging threats in the digital payment space.   

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)    

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

NCL applauds reintroduction of the American Family Act     

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829   

Washington, DC – The National Consumer League (NCL) is proud to join Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and other supporters in advocating for the reintroduction of the American Family Act. This landmark legislation seeks to make the expanded and improved Child Tax Credit (CTC) permanent. This critical policy helps lift families out of poverty and provides economic stability for millions of American households. As original supporters of this initiative, NCL continues to emphasize the importance of providing financial security to families, especially those facing economic hardship.    

 The bottom line is that the CTC helps combat child labor by reducing the financial strain that forces families to send their children to work. By providing additional support, tax credits lessen the need for children to contribute financially, allowing families to meet their needs better and giving children the opportunity to focus on their education and well-being. 

“By making the Child Tax Credit permanent, the American Family Act will ensure families can count on consistent support to meet their basic needs. The 2021 expansion showed us how transformative this policy can be, lifting millions of children out of poverty and giving parents the ability to better care for their families,” said Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy. “We know from NCL’s long-standing work on protecting children from child labor that poverty drives children into perilous child labor. We stand with Congresswoman DeLauro and her colleagues in pushing for this essential legislation that can strengthen our nation’s economic future by investing in its most valuable asset—our children.”        

NCL urges Congress to take swift action in passing the American Family Act to continue building on the success of the expanded Child Tax Credit, providing long-term relief for working families and helping children reach their fullest potential.       

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.