August 23, 2007

Government Agency Told To Hush

**Cross-posted from BlogHer.

Christopher Jensen, of the New York Times, reported yesterday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will no longer provide information to reporters, except on a background basis, without special permission.

This means the nation’s top automotive safety agency officials cannot provide any information on the record or be quoted freely.

The administrator of the agency is Nicole R. Nason who was appointed by President Bush and began her position in May of 2006. Nason developed a policy that prevents nearly all of her staff from providing any information which could then be attributed to a spokesperson.

Nason’s policy contradicts The Open Government Act of 2007 which was passed by the Senate earlier this month but has not yet been signed into law. The bill calls for more open, accountable and responsive government, but Nason’s action slams the door on any communication between auto safety experts at N.H.T.S.A and reporters.

From the article:

The agency’s new policy effectively means that some of the world’s top safety researchers are no longer allowed to talk to reporters or to be freely quoted about automotive safety issues that affect pretty much everybody.

This is outrageous considering the fact that auto recalls peaked 30.8 million in 2004. Safety experts must take into account what is at stake if they are unable to discuss with reporters their research that may save lives.

Winding Road states:

“This policy is evidently an about-face from at least two decades marked by openness between NHTSA and the media.”

In response, one reader said:

“This is typical of this regime in which fear and dogma are used to control the public by keeping them in the dark and only letting them know about issues of public concern when it benefits the regimes secret plans. Denying access to critical information, especially when it comes to public safety, further strips us of our rights as citizens of what used to be a democracy. The Bush White House has damaged every aspect of this nation from our standing in the world to a credit based federal budget. This is just them allowing us to damage each other and then find out about why we’re dead three months later in when a safety recall is announced.”

And another:

I can’t believe I just read this… The NHTSA is a Safety administration. As one who endeavored to become an automotive engineer, having an open door policy to discuss any and all matters was and is paramount. We are, after all, talking about people’s lives.

Nason’s previous position was assistant secretary for governmental affairs in the Department of Transportation, and her N.H.T.S.A. biography states she was responsible for oversight of congressional affairs and coordinating relationships between the D.O.T. and Congress.

Adds Jensen, “If she has any experience in keeping a Congressman from skidding out of control, that could come in handy now that she is speaking for an entire agency of seasoned safety experts.”