Long before he was a perpetual presidential candidate, Ralph Nader forever changed the automobile industry.
In his 1965 book, “Unsafe At Any Speed,” Nader accused U.S. manufacturers of putting profits before public safety, detailing their resistance to seat belts and other features with the potential to save lives.
The book raised public awareness and, along with concerns over rising highway fatalities, pressured lawmakers to adopt the 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which empowered the federal government to administer new safety standards for automobiles.
As a result, driving a car today is arguably safer than it has ever been.
But the safety movement has largely bypassed motorcycles, which is why Sgt. Steve Spink – who spent years studying motorcycle crash data in the traffic services section of the Michigan State Police – wishes there was a Ralph Nader for the motorcycle industry.
