The latest edition of PBS’s Frontline documentary series to air on Tuesday night carried the subtitle America’s Dangerous Trucks as host A.C. Thompson explored the safety aspects of 18-wheelers. At one point, it was emphatically declared that Ronald Reagan contributed to truck-related deaths through his policy of deregulation although the logic needed to make such a claim was lacking.
Discussing proposals for better rear underride guards, Thompson asked former National Highway Traffic Safety Administration scientist Louis Lombardo, “When I look at the discussion within Department of Transportation back in this time period, '70s and '80s, they're talking about what seems like, like, it's just not that expensive. Why, why was this such a big deal?”
Lombardo blamed a combination of government and industry, “It's because the trailer manufacturers and the administration was in a deregulatory mode.”
Summarizing that mood in a voiceover, Thompson declared that “The underride rule had been announced days before Ronald Reagan took office amid a push to deregulate the trucking industry. Lombardo says that once the new administration came in, the agency's staffing was slashed and everything changed.”
Lamenting the new administration’s change of policy, Lombardo recalled how, “All rulemaking came to a halt. I mean, it literally came to a halt. I was in rulemaking, and we had nothing, nothing, nothing to do.”
After a shocked Thompson followed by, “You weren't allowed to make any regulations?” Lombardo reiterated, “No, no-- all regulation stopped.”
During another voiceover, Thompson reported “Lombardo believes it was a turning point from which the agency has never recovered” which was followed up with Lombardo accusing Reagan of destroying the NHTSA, “What was happening is that the agency was being destroyed and we couldn't continue to improve safety.”
That finally led Thompson to wonder “Did people die unnecessarily?” to which Lombardo replied “oh, heck, yes.”
Thompson followed up in yet another voiceover that “It wasn't until 1998 that the NHTSA finally required trucks to have tougher rear guards, more than 30 years after Jayne Mansfield was killed” and wondered “How would you describe your former agency today?”
Replying that the NHTSA “is an extremely captive agency” Lombardo alleged that the agency is controlled by the auto and truck industry and that “They're not public servants, they're private servants.”
Back at the beginning of the show, Thompson reported that there about 5,000 underride fatalities every year and would later highlight flaws with the 1998 rule. That opening also showed video of some of these crashes coming about the result of some truly terrible driving, so blaming deaths on Ronald Reagan is ridiculous.
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Here is a transcript for the June 13 show:
PBS Frontline: America’s Dangerous Trucks
6/13/2023
10:11 PM ET
A.C. THOMPSON: When I look at the discussion within Department of Transportation back in this time period, '70s and '80s, they're talking about what seems like, like, it's just not that expensive. Why, why was this such a big deal?
LOUIS LOMBARDO: It's because the trailer manufacturers and the administration was in a deregulatory mode.
THOMPSON: The underride rule had been announced days before Ronald Reagan took office amid a push to deregulate the trucking industry. Lombardo says that once the new administration came in, the agency's staffing was slashed and everything changed.
LOMBARDO: All rulemaking came to a halt. I mean, it literally came to a halt. I was in rulemaking, and we had nothing, nothing, nothing to do.
THOMPSON: You weren't allowed to make any regulations?
LOMBARDO: No, no-- all regulation stopped.
THOMPSON: Lombardo believes it was a turning point from which the agency has never recovered.
LOMBARDO: What was happening is that the agency was being destroyed and we couldn't continue to improve safety.
THOMPSON: Did people die unnecessarily?
LOMBARDO: Oh, heck, yes.
THOMPSON: It wasn't until 1998 that NHTSA finally required trucks to have tougher rear guards, more than 30 years after Jayne Mansfield was killed. Lombardo eventually retired in 2006.
How would you describe your former agency today?
LOMBARDO: It is an extremely captive agency, it really is.
THOMPSON: Captive to who? The auto industry?
LOMBARDO: Auto industry, truck industry. They're not public servants, they're private servants.
