Years before GM cars with faulty ignition switches were linked to a series of fatal accidents, the nation’s car safety watchdog had chance after chance to spot the defect and push General Motors to recall its deadly cars.
Instead, the watchdog wagged its tail and meekly rolled over — and not for the first time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — long ago a standard-setter for safety regulators — has repeatedly failed to spot defects, pursue investigations forcefully or use its powers to get defective cars off the road.
