Friday, July 15, 2005

Elizabeth Conley / The Detroit News Jeffrey Runge had a sometimes contentious relationship with the auto industry. But he earned respect by having clear, consistent priorities.

Departing auto safety chief pushed for major reforms

During Runge's tenure, NHTSA expanded seat-belt use, tackled SUV rollovers.

By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Lisa Nipp / Gannett News Service While heading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Jeffrey Runge helped spur industry design changes that may reduce deaths from crashes between cars and SUVs and other light trucks. Runge's legacy • All-time high seat-belt usage in U.S., 80 percent • Proposed a sweeping new side-impact crash test, which is expected to lead to wider use of head air bags • Spurred automakers to negotiate a voluntary agreement to reduce injuries in cars when they collide with light trucks • Raised the profile of rollover issue with new stability ratings and a tougher roof-strength standard • Highway fatality rate dropped to 1.5 deaths per million vehicle miles traveled Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

WASHINGTON -- Dr. Jeffrey Runge, the nation's top auto safety regulator, is leaving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to become chief medical officer at the Department of Homeland Security.

Runge had a sometimes contentious relationship with the auto industry. He was seen as a fierce advocate for safer highways during his four-year tenure. But he earned respect from the car companies by emphasizing science in his decision-making and having clear, consistent priorities.

In his new post, Runge, 49, will oversee the Department of Homeland Security's response to biological or other kinds of catastrophic terrorist attacks.

The position is a new job created as part of an overhaul of the agency unveiled Wednesday. He will remain at the agency through August.

While at NHTSA, Runge made expanded seat-belt use the agency's top priority.

Last year, the United States set a record for seat-belt use when 80 percent of motorists regularly buckled up.

The former emergency room physician from Charlotte, N.C., tirelessly advocated for stronger state seat-belt laws. He also pushed for a crackdown on drunken driving and a greater emphasis on preventing rollover crashes. He helped spur the industry to make design changes that may reduce deaths from crashes between cars and popular SUVs and other light trucks.

On the vehicle design side, much of Runge's early tenure was focused on implementing the TREAD Act, the auto safety law Congress passed in the wake of the Firestone tire recall in 2000. The law required new regulations from NHTSA on how tires were made, mandated that automakers equip vehicles with tire-pressure monitoring systems and called for creating a massive computer database that serves as an early warning system by tracking customer complaints, warranty repairs and injuries.

U.S. Transportation secretary Norman Mineta praised Runge's efforts on safety Thursday, noting the country is enjoying its lowest fatality rate.

"Jeff has been a bold advocate and tireless proponent of improved vehicle and highway safety the last four years," Mineta said. "We are all a little bit safer because of his dedication to the safety cause."

Last year, Runge pointed to a proposed regulation to prevent injuries in side-impact crashes as the most substantive vehicle design change during his tenure. When finalized, the rules are expected to spur the widespread use of side air bags to reduce head injuries.

"You certainly always knew where you stood with the administration on safety issues," said Chris Preuss, spokesman for General Motors Corp. in Washington. "Everyone will agree he was a tenacious advocate for his priorities."

Runge also used his medical training to emphasize the use of science in setting policy at NHTSA. Improving the quality of data collected in the agency's databases, like the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, was another top priority.

Another former NHTSA administrator, consumer advocate Joan Claybrook, said Runge succeeded in raising the profile of the dangers of SUVs.

In a January 2003 visit to Detroit, he encouraged consumers to avoid rollover-prone vehicles such as large SUVs that have become a major source of industry profits.

"I wouldn't buy my kid a two-star rollover vehicle if it was the last one on earth," Runge said. "That's my family's choice because we are educated about injury risk and risk of death."

The remark drew outrage from some automakers, which rely on sales of high-profit SUVs for their financial health.

Claybrook said it was an effective use of the bully pulpit that sparked automakers to make engineering changes -- through the introduction of more stable, car-based SUVs and wider installation of electronic stability control. Claybrook said there was a noticeable uptick of support for safety initiatives in Congress after the remarks.

"He moved the industry, despite the fact they were furious with him," Claybrook said. "The fact is, the public learned from it. It became something people began to understand."

Officials at the Department of Transportation said Thursday it was too soon to speculate about Runge's successor at NHTSA.

Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association in Washington, sees no obvious replacement for Runge within NHTSA because the agency does not have a formal No. 2 position. Finding an effective person to head the agency has always been tricky, she said.

"It's a very small federal agency, but it's a very visible position," Harsha said. "NHTSA is in the news a lot."

You can reach Jeff Plungis at (202) 906-8204 or jplungis@detnews.com.