Fraud trends: Bogus Internet sales remain most-reported fraud for fourth year in a row; Median reported loss to fraud doubled in 2016 – National Consumers League

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February 1, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, has released its annual compilation of the top ten scams reported to Fraud.org, NCL’s flagship project for fraud prevention and education. Based on an analysis of more than 7,000 fraud complaints submitted by consumers to Fraud.org in 2016, NCL is warning consumers to beware Internet merchandise sales scams.

For the fourth year in a row, Internet merchandise scams topped the list of complaints reported to Fraud.org. The way many consumers first come into contact with these scams is via a “too good to be true” ad on a website, social media platform or Internet forum. Popular ways scammers catch consumers’ eyes is with deep discounts on goods like iPhones, sneakers, luxury apparel, video game systems and even pets.

While the top scam didn’t change in 2016, a key measurement of how scams affect consumers did: the cost of falling victim to fraud increased significantly in 2016. In complaints where a loss was reported, the median loss was $600, double what was reported in 2015. The most expensive type of scam for victims continued to be friendship and sweetheart swindles (also known as “romance scams”), with a median loss of $2,000.

“The key to avoiding these merchandise scams is to shop around. If the price you’re being quoted is far below what reputable merchants are asking, that’s a red flag of fraud,” said John Breyault, vice president, public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League. “Once you hand over your credit card number or send a wire transfer to the seller of these goods, chances are that all you’ll get in return is a headache, not a sweet deal.”

Another trend observed in 2016: scammers have been turning away from wire transfer and embracing gift cards as payment method. In 2016, wire transfers and credit and debit cards remained the payment method of choice for scammers, but gift cards increased significantly as a new form of payment. In 2016, Fraud.org saw a 30 percent increase in complaints where the payment method included gift cards, including numerous complaints where scammers asked for payment via iTunes gift cards. In such instances, the victim is instructed to load funds onto a gift card and then give the code and PIN number off the back of the card to the scammer, who then quickly deducts funds from the card, leaving the consumer with worthless plastic and little recourse to obtain a refund. 

“The fight against fraud is constantly evolving, as criminals refine their tactics for separating consumers from their hard-earned cash,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. “We hope our annual list of top scams helps consumers know what to watch out for and avoid falling victim, especially since falling victim for one of these scams is apparently getting more costly.”

Read the full 2016 top ten scams report.

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About the National Consumers League
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 https://nclnet.org.

National Consumers League urges consumers to enroll in Marketplace health insurance by January 31 deadline – National Consumers League

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January 25, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—Amidst uncertainty about the future of health insurance for millions of Americans, the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is joining with other health advocacy groups urging consumers to enroll in health coverage by the January 31, 2017 deadline.

“While the debate over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act swirls in Congress, the most important thing that consumers can do right now to protect their health is to enroll in or change their Marketplace health insurance plan by the January 31, 2017 deadline. Consumers can go to HealthCare.gov to find a plan that works for them,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. 

Along with its colleagues in the health advocacy community, NCL is encouraging consumers to enroll in coverage in order to take advantage of a range of free benefits and preventive services covered under the Affordable Care Act, including birth control, HIV screenings, cancer screenings, diabetes screenings, and other important health services.

At HealthCare.gov, consumers can compare plans and choose the combination of price and coverage that best fits their needs and budget. Consumers will also be able to find out if they qualify for financial help with their premium costs.

If consumers have questions about health insurance, they can visit MyHealthPlan.Guide, a joint project of NCL and America’s Health Insurance Plans, to educate consumers about choosing and using their health insurance and living a healthy lifestyle. Consumers may also contact HealthCare.gov’s Marketplace Call Center toll-free at 1-800-318-2596 for assistance with enrolling.  

The Health Insurance Exchanges will remain in place through 2017. “Don’t place yourself or your family at financial risk from unexpected health expenses. Enroll in coverage now before it’s too late!” said Greenberg.         

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About the National Consumers League

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.

National Consumers League to HHS nominee: ‘Maintain women’s access to free contraception’ – National Consumers League

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January 23, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy group is today calling on Congressman Tom Price, a doctor and President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS), who appeared before the Senate in confirmation hearings last week and will again tomorrow, to drop his insistence that women should have to pay for contraception.

“The facts are in: because of increased and free access to contraception, the U.S. abortion rate has declined 14 percent between 2011 and 2014 and well over 60 percent of the decline in the number of abortions occurred in states without new restrictions,” said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League (NCL), which has advocated on women’s health issues since its founding in 1899. “The Congressman is out of touch with the economic realities facing women.”

Reports cite a 2012 interview with Price by Think Progress reporter Scott Keyes, in which the reporter asked Price: “One of the main sticking points is whether or not contraceptive coverage is going to be covered under health insurance plans and at hospitals and whether they’re going to be able to pay for it, especially low-income women … where do we leave these women if this rule is rescinded?” Price’s response: “Bring me one woman who has been left behind. Bring me one. There’s not one. The fact of the matter is this is a trampling on religious freedom and religious liberty in this country.”

“Congressman Price has his head in the sand. Providing girls and women with highly effective contraceptive methods that are free and universally available is the best way to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion, a goal we all share,” said Greenberg.   

According to a new report from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, U.S. abortion rates reached a record low in 2014, for the first time falling below its level in 1973—the year abortion became legal nationwide. Anti-abortion groups and policymakers often claim credit for reduced incidence of abortion due to restrictions on access, but the facts prove otherwise: among the 28 states and the District of Columbia that did not have major new restrictions in effect, all but three saw abortion declines in 2011–2014, and combined they accounted for 62 percent of the total decline in the number of U.S. abortions. This follows another decline in abortion during the 2008–2011 period, which was driven entirely by a steep drop in unintended pregnancy, which in turn was explained by improved contraceptive use.

“The Guttmacher Report shows no clear pattern linking restrictions and declines in abortion incidence,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg also stated, “We call upon Congressman Price to maintain women’s access to free contraception and the other preventive services covered under the Affordable Care Act. The nominee for this critically important HHS post should work to preserve and improve women’s health, not roll back the clock.”

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About the National Consumers League

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.

Script Your Future launches sixth annual student competition for innovations in medication adherence – National Consumers League

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January 17, 2017

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, (202) 207-2832, cindyh@nclnet.org 

Washington, DC—This week marks the launch of the sixth annual Medication Adherence Team Challenge, a two-month-long intercollegiate competition among health profession student teams and faculty for creating solutions to raise awareness about medication adherence as a critical public health issue. The Challenge, coordinated by the National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneer consumer group and the lead organization on the national Script Your Future campaign, is returning to university campuses across the country after five years of successful student competition and innovation. 

The Challenge is part of Script Your Future, a campaign launched by NCL and its partners in 2011 to combat the problem of poor medication adherence in the United States, where nearly three out of four patients do not take their medication as directed.

“With the changing landscape of healthcare in America, the role of healthcare professionals in helping patients take their medications as directed to preserve and improve their health is more critical than ever. The Challenge uniquely encourages an interprofessional approach to improving medication adherence and lays the foundation for adherence-minded care delivery among future professionals before they enter the workforce,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Each year, we are so impressed by the ingenuity of our student teams and their ability to meet patients where they are. We look forward to seeing what this year’s Challenge will contribute to the discussion.”

The Challenge is sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).

From January 16 through March 17, inter-professional teams—including student pharmacists, nurses, doctors, and others—will implement outreach with creative approaches in their communities to raise awareness and improve understanding about medication adherence, using Script Your Future.  At the end of the Challenge, teams submit entries for review by national partner organizations, and winners are recognized nationally for their efforts to improve medication adherence.

“The Script Your Future Adherence Challenge has provided a tremendous opportunity for health professions students to illustrate how they can work collaboratively to improve patient care through better medication adherence,” said Dr. Lucinda L. Maine, executive vice president and CEO at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. “This challenge, now in its sixth year, continues to provide a great example of the power health professions teams can have on the public health issue of medication adherence.”

Since the Challenge began in 2011, more than 9,500 future health care professionals have directly counseled more than 34,000 patients and reached more than 11 million consumers about the importance of medication adherence. Last year’s National awardees were the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy. The Focused awardees were the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) (Health Disparities), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Media), and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy (Creative Inter-Professional Event).  

To learn more about last year’s winners visit the Script Your Future website.

For more information on the Challenge visit the Challenge Community website at https://syfadherencechallenge.ning.com/. Tweet along with us during the Challenge using #SYFchallenge and follow the campaign @IWillTakeMyMeds.

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Script Your Future is a campaign of the National Consumers League (NCL), a private, non-profit membership organization founded in 1899. NCL’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information about the Script Your Future campaign, visit www.ScriptYourFuture.org. For more information on NCL, please visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL raises concern about potential Kennedy vaccine appointment – National Consumers League

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January 13, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization is today sounding the alarm bells about news that President-elect Trump might be considering anti-vaccination charlatan Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to chair either a vaccine safety or autism commission. The National Consumers League (NCL) says the appointment would be a step backwards for public health, giving those who oppose vaccines another platform to spout the discredited notion of a causal link between vaccines and autism.   

“Let’s be clear,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg, “The scientific consensus is overwhelming: vaccines don’t cause autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and dozens of peer-reviewed studies have all said that there’s no connection. Indeed, the one so-called study that tried to assert the connection was found to be fraudulent and thoroughly debunked.,” said Greenberg. “Appointing someone like Kennedy – a purveyor of junk science with no medical training – is dangerous to the public’s health and must be denounced by all responsible voices.”

Unfortunately, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, public doubts about vaccine safety remain. In fact, NCL’s vaccine perception study found 33 percent of survey respondents think vaccinations can cause autism. In addition, while most survey respondents (87 percent) say they support mandatory vaccination of school-aged children in theory, 64 percent of adults say parents should have the final say whether or not to vaccinate.

The following statement may be attributed to Greenberg:

“The reason behind these vaccine doubters is likely that the current generation of parents has never experienced the panic—and often heartbreak—caused by outbreaks of diphtheria, polio, small pox, tetanus and influenza that earlier generations of parents suffered before vaccines were developed. . They have lost perspective on how serious – and deadly – these diseases can be. As a result, those parents abstaining from having their children vaccinated are enabling deadly illnesses to return. And threatening everyone’s health.

“As the Trump Administration comes into the White House, the public health community must come together to reject junk science and demand that accurate, life-saving information about vaccines be widely disseminated. Let us never return to those dark days of fatal – and completely preventable – disease outbreaks and thank modern medicine for developing vaccinations that enable all of us – especially children – to lead long, healthy, and happy lives.”

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About the National Consumers League

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.

National consumer group sounding alarm about anti-union laws being fast-tracked through Kentucky – National Consumers League

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January 6, 2017

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, is criticizing proposals being fast-tracked in the Kentucky legislature that undercut the rights of working women and men, with two bills targeting the ability of labor unions to represent the interests of workers gaining Republican support. Since its founding in 1899, NCL nationally and on the state level has supported rights and protections for workers. NCL’s leaders drafted America’s first maximum hours, minimum wage, and child labor abolition laws in the first two decades of the 20th Century. The national organization has staff living and working in the state of Kentucky.

“Might doesn’t make right,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “Because Republicans have super majorities in both chambers, they are targeting working people who want nothing more than the ability to bargain on a level playing field for decent wages, benefits, and a safe work environment.”

The bills approved in Kentucky by a House committee would ban mandatory union membership as a condition of employment, and would not allow employers to deduct union dues from workers’ paychecks without written permission, but would still require the union to represent the interests of those employees who refuse to pay dues. The bills would also forbid public employees from going on strike and repeal Kentucky’s prevailing-wage law, which guarantees higher wages for workers on construction projects paid for with public money. Workers represented by unions earn better wages and benefits and have more workplace protections than those who don’t have a union representing them. 

Kentucky’s Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover said the legislature will likely hold a rare Saturday session tomorrow so it can deliver the bills to Gov. Matt Bevin’s desk before taking a three-week recess.

Earlier this week, workers crammed into hallways at the Statehouse, but most were not allowed into the public hearing because the pro-business and anti-union group, Americans for Prosperity, reserved the committee room, effectively freezing out the union representatives. Many new members of the legislature do not have phones set up yet, so there is little opportunity for the public to voice their opinion on the measures, which may move to the governor’s desk for signature during a special legislative session on Saturday.

“This is a sad development for working families in Kentucky,” said Greenberg.

According to reports, Gov. Bevin welcomed the legislature’s anti-union actions. A strong supporter of President-Elect Donald Trump during the campaign, Bevin called for bloodshed in the streets if Mr. Trump were to lose the election in a September 2016 speech, according to the New York Times.

Kentucky is the last state in the South that has not banned mandatory union membership as a condition of employment.

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About the National Consumers League

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.

D.C. airport workers deserve living wage amidst strike – National Consumers League

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December 15, 2016

The National Consumers League (NCL) supports the airport workers who are striking for better wages and benefits at Reagan National and Dulles Airports. Many airport employees who work for contractors are excluded from the airport’s living wage laws and earn as little as $3.77 an hour, plus tips. “It’s outrageous that workers in the United States can be paid these poverty wages,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director. “The contractor that hires many of these striking workers, Huntleigh Corporation, shouldn’t be able to skirt the law.”

NCL applauds Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring for supporting the workers and the other activists who are fighting to ensure that contractors pay their workers $15 an hour. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority unfortunately did not act in time to ensure these workers would get a living wage for the holidays. “Many of the companies that operate inside and outside airports charge very high prices for their products and services. The profits made from the privilege of getting to operate at U.S. airports must be shared with the workers. The current system, including allowing contractors to pay poverty wages, is unacceptable,” said Greenberg.

As federal and state tax fraud prevention efforts ramp up, National Consumers League launches toolkit to help promote free IRS tax preparation services, educate on refund delays new for 2017

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December 7, 2016

Toolkit designed to help Volunteer Income Tax Assistance programs raise awareness among EITC/ACTC recipients about new refund delays, promote free in-person and online tax preparation IRS resources 

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneer consumer and worker advocacy organization, announced today the launch of its IRS Refund Delay Toolkit. The free toolkit will provide the more than 12,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programs across the country a comprehensive set of resources to help inform consumers about new changes in tax law, which require the IRS to delay issuing refunds for taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until February 15.

The updated law, which has no exceptions, is designed to give the IRS more time to help detect and prevent fraud. Tax identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing types of fraud—it accounted for almost half of the 491,000 ID theft complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission last year. NCL is making this toolkit available for free to the more than 12,000 VITA programs operating nationwide to help them protect consumers from identity theft and other tax-related frauds by using free tax preparation services.

The IRS relies on local VITA programs, along with the brand-name online tax preparation software offered through its Free File program, to help qualifying individuals file their federal taxes each year, free of charge. NCL’s IRS Refund Delay Toolkit will provide VITAs with strategies, practical tips, tools, and educational messages that they can use to encourage consumers to rely on these options, thus helping them to avoid schemes which claim to offer quicker refunds, but actually result in high-interest payday loans or costly short-term refund advances, both of which are detrimental to consumers in the long run.

“It has never been more important for consumers to prepare accurate income tax returns,” said John Breyault, NCL’s Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud. “Our goal is to help consumers reduce their risk of falling victim to tax identity fraud, connect with services that will help them navigate this year’s delay and keep 100 percent of their federal refunds without worrying about hidden fees or unexpected charges.”

The effort is intended to build on the IRS’ success in reducing tax identity fraud rates, which decreased by nearly 50 percent in last year’s filing season. In 2015, 1.2 million confirmed identity theft returns were filed and stopped, totaling $7.2 billion in potential losses to taxpayers. In that same period in 2016, only 787,000 confirmed identity theft returns, totaling $4 billion in fraudulent refunds, made it into the IRS’ system: a decrease of almost 500,000 fraudulent returns stopped before processing.  By guiding consumers to free IRS tax preparation services, NCL believes that the numbers of confirmed tax identity fraud cases in 2017 can continue to decline.

With the support of an unrestricted educational grant from the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, NCL has partnered with the CFED Taxpayer Opportunity Network to help distribute the toolkit to its network of VITA programs and volunteer tax preparers. “Helping VITA programs prepare for the potential impact the refund delay may have on EITC filers and VITA volunteers is critical,” said Rebecca Thompson, CFED’s Project Director of the Taxpayer Opportunity Network. “We are excited to work with NCL on a toolkit that helps VITAs communicate with taxpayers, volunteers and community partners about the refund delay.”

Learn more about free tax preparation services like VITAs or Free File and access the toolkit by visiting https://partners.taxtimeallies.org/resources/.

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About the National Consumers League

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.

National Consumers League calls on United Airlines to halt introduction of “Basic Economy” fare – National Consumers League

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December 7, 2016

Contact: NCL Communications, Cindy Hoang, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832 

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today called on United Airlines to heed the concerns of passenger advocates and policymakers and halt its plans to introduce its “Basic Economy” fare class. Rules for the new fare class, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2017, will prevent customers from bringing carry-on baggage on flights, requiring more flyers to pay onerous baggage fees. In addition, “Basic Economy” tickets will come with no guarantee that families will be able to sit together nor allow passengers to know ahead of their flights where their seats are located on an aircraft.

The following statement if attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud: 

In a competitive marketplace, airlines would be falling over themselves to offer consumers the most perks at the lowest price. Instead, we have the major U.S. airlines engaging in a race to the bottom to see who can offer the worst service at the highest profit margin. This is the textbook definition of market failure. United’s draconian “Basic Economy” fare cannot be seen as anything other than the beginning of a slippery slope that will pressure the other legacy airlines — who control 80% of domestic flights and are enjoying record profits — to follow suit. Flyers and policymakers should make no mistake that today’s “Basic Economy” fare will almost certainly be service level that many, if not most of us may soon be forced to endure, whether we’re United customers or not. United should heed the concerns of a diverse coalition of flyers rights advocates and senior members of Congress and halt the introduction of its “Basic Economy” fare class.

Earlier this year, NCL joined with a broad coalition of public interest and business travel groups in calling on Congress to pass the FAIR Fees Act; consumer protection legislation that would prohibit airlines from charging cancellation, baggage or other ancillary fees that are “unreasonable or disproportional” to the costs incurred by the air carrier. Given United’s actions, the need for such common-sense rules — which received bipartisan support — appears greater than ever.

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About the National Consumers League

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 mourns the passing of auto safety icon Clarence Ditlow – National Consumers League

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November 11, 2016

Contact: Cindy Hoang, National Consumers League, cindyh@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832 

The National Consumers League (NCL) mourns the passing of a great auto safety advocate, Clarence Ditlow. Clarence had served as the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety since 1976. He died at the age of 72 after a long struggle with colon cancer. This statement is attributed to NCL’s Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

“Clarence Ditlow’s name is synonymous with auto safety. Anyone in the industry who has spent a day working in this area knows Clarence and the Center for Auto Safety. In my years at Consumers Union (CU), I had many occasions to work with Clarence, who served on CU’s Board of Directors, and see him in action. His research and advocacy exposing auto defects–including ignition switches, roof crush, and sudden acceleration–were invaluable and helped to vastly improve the safety and reliability of today’s vehicles. Consumers owe him a debt of gratitude for continuously keeping industry’s feet to the fire and demanding that automakers deliver far safer and more fuel efficient vehicles. The remarkable progress we’ve seen in reduced deaths and injuries since the Center was founded is a testament to Clarence’s work. Since 1970, the death rate on America’s roads has dropped dramatically, from 5.2 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1969 to 1.1 per 100 million vehicle miles in 2010.”

The Center for Auto Safety helped to expose faulty airbag inflators, defective tires, dangerously designed ignition switches, defective engine mounts, roofs on vehicles that collapsed on impact and crushed occupants, exploding gas tanks and child seats with defective latches, and many other auto safety issues.  

Saluting his work, Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-VCT) said in a statement in the Congressional Record of Sept. 29, 2016:

“Through a lifetime of work improving automotive and safety laws, Mr. Ditlow has helped save thousands of lives and prevented many more injuries than would otherwise have occurred. A tireless champion for consumers, his work has resulted in better government oversight of automakers, the installation of key safety features, and the exposure of safety defects in millions of cars, SUVs and other trucks….Mr. Ditlow’s discovery of numerous automotive defects, combined with his persistent pressure on safety agencies and automakers alike, led to the removal of many unsafe vehicles from the road.”

The National Consumers League mourns the loss of Clarence Ditlow, fellow safety advocate and crusader, who did so much to advance the cause of safer and more fuel efficient automotive vehicles. 

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About the National Consumers League

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.