According to a 2006 report by Ryan Bilas of the National Center for Public Policy Researchseveral studies demonstrate the cost in human lives due to CAFE standards:
According to a 2001 National Academy of Sciences panel, smaller and lighter vehicle production resulted in an additional 1,300 to 2,600 traffic fatalities in 1993.
A 1999 USA Today analysis of crash data found that since CAFE went into effect in 1978, 46,000 people died in crashes they otherwise would have survived. That equates to roughly 7,700 deaths for every mile per gallon gained in fuel economy standards.
A 1989 Harvard-Brookings study estimated CAFE to be responsible for 2,200 to 3,900 excess occupant deaths over ten years. It also estimated between 11,000 and 19,500 occupants would suffer serious injury due to these standards.
The same study found CAFE has resulted in a 500 pound weight reduction on the average car.
Lastly, passengers in smaller, lighter cars die at a rate 12 times that of people driving larger, heavier cars.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda will speak in Beijing on Monday about the company’s recent quality woes, Toyota said Sunday, in an effort to reassure consumers in a major growth market.
Toyoda, who testified at a U.S. Congressional hearing last week about the spate of global recalls plaguing Toyota Motor Corp., will speak to reporters at a Beijing hotel, company spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.
The number of vehicles being recalled in China is small compared with the 8.5 million vehicles recalled worldwide since October for sticky gas pedals, faulty floor mats and glitches in braking software.
The bulk of the recalls are in the United States, where doubts are growing about Toyota’s longtime reputation for top-grade quality.
In China, Toyota announced a recall of 75,552 RAV4 sport-utility vehicles in late January due to the gas pedal problem.
Toyota has said its plans to expand in the Chinese market are unchanged, with its sales in the country expected to rise to 800,000 vehicles this year, up from 709,000 in 2009.
China’s overall vehicle sales soared 45 percent last year to 13.6 million, overtaking the U.S. as the world’s biggest auto market.
Sorry for the hiatus!! Life has been crazy around here! We’ve been frantically searching for a new car and finally found one.
A 2008 Toyota Camry LE with less than 14,000 miles on it. It’s the base model, but considering the age of the cars we have been driving (1990 and 1996) it feels space age.
AND it has a sunroof!
In other news, we had a dog trainer from Canine Homeschool come by on Friday. it took about three hours for us to go through everything Goliath needed to know and he did great! He’s really doing well with come, sit and down and we’ll gradually work on “stay,” “leave it,” and “drop it..” He’s also learning how to not run down the stairs when people some in the door or knock.
We’re learning to be the alpha and keep Goliath in his place by:
Eating before we feed the dogs
Go through doorways first
Don’t let him on the couch or bed (hard!)
Don’t pick him up (SUPER hard!)
I’m going to try my very best to follow these rules.
Now, going back in time even more…
My mid-afternoon snack on Monday was some popcorn and a clementine.
I put some parmesan and garlic season on the popcorn.
After work I ran home to take the dogs to the dog park before they closed.
Unfortunately, I thought they closed at sunset, but they closed at 5:30. We were only there for maybe 5 minutes before it was time to go. Rusty was NOT happy.
I don’t remember what dinner was…I just remember having a 7PM meeting at church that night.
I posted Tuesday morning’s breakfast already and can’t remember what lunch was.. A turkey sandwich on whole wheat with cheese and RF mayo and then Veggie Chips on the side, I think.
Dinner was a vegetarian casserole with brown rice, black beans, broccoli, green beans, peas and cheese.
I was REALLY craving some sweets, and I tried to satisfy it with a piece of whole wheat toast with yogurt spread and jam, but that didn’t do it.
Just as I was ready to go out and find something, I found a box of Jell-O Chocolate Pudding in a drawer.
Granted, it was a little past the expiration date…
…but I didn’t care.
It definitely hit the spot. After all this I went out with Josh and a friend for a little while. I didn’t order anything, but made quite a dent in Josh’s fries.
Wednesday morning breakfast was multigrain Cheerios with skim milk. No picture, though.
Lunch was leftovers in Tomato Basil wraps (x 2).
Dessert was also leftovers…pudding.
Mid-afternoon snack were two clementines.
I can’t remember what I had for dinner and there don’t appear to be any pictures to jog my memory.
Thursday morning breakfast was a container of Fage 0% Plain Greek yogurt with some of my failed granola. (Old picture)
Lunch was a Cedarlane Beans and Rice burrito.
With MORE pudding.
Mid-afternoon snack were some pretzels.
We spent Thursday evening car shopping and ended up having dinner at East Asia, a sushi place we’d never been to. We were a little wary because there was only ONE other car in the parking lot. It was quite nice, though, and well priced. I don’t have any picture because my camera is broken (lens won’t extend…hopefully it can be fixed!) and it was too dim to get a good picture with my phone.
I got a house salad, miso soup, shrimp tempura roll, and another roll I can’t remember the name of. It had cooked white fish on top. Everything was delicious and I’m sure we’ll be visiting this place more often.
Friday I don’t remember really having breakfast before the trainer came and then we spent all day buying a car. In all the excitement I can’t really remember anything I ate yesterday.
This morning I made oatmeal pancakes. It’s a mix from Quaker Oats.
Source
I also had some fruit with it, 1 clementine and some blueberries. I made extras to freeze.
Lunch was a packet of Madras Lentils with two pieces of whole wheat bread.
We then took our new car to get new tires and while we waited Josh went to Subway for lunch. Since I’d already eaten all I had was a drink and a chocolate chip cookie.
We also went to TJ Maxx while we waited. I got Goliath a new bed and some new bowls. I also got myself some treats.
70 cent Larabars and an Honest granola plank!! So excited. I have yet to try either of these Larabar flavors.
Despite the cookie, I was really craving froyo, so after we picked up the car I had Josh take me to Swirls where I got the Low-fat Double Chocolate Fudge with almonds, marshmallows, strawberries and some Snickers pieces.
Now….if you survived this epic post, congratulations!! I’m off to catch up on Lost while Goliath enjoys his new bed.
P.S. My shoulder is still hurting me a good bit, but I plan to get back on track tomorrow!! Wish me luck!
What do all of the above have in common? Their image or reputation was damaged. A reputation or image that has been damaged is very hard to repair and much harder to come back to the original status that may have been enjoyed earlier. Sometimes the damage is so great the company is destroyed or individuals go to jail.
It isn’t easy or quick for a company or individual to build a great reputation. It takes many years.
That reputation can be severely damaged very quickly just like a hurricane or tornado or flood can badly damage a town very quickly. The result is many years of rebuilding. For a company that has lost its good name it will be very hard to get that back.
Part of that reason is trust has been lost and trust is a very strong part of any relationship. People do business with companies that they trust.
Once trust is originally established, it can become so strong that the company or individual is beyond question such as the status Bernie Madoff had with the SEC for many years.
Sometimes Companies Who Have Built a Great Reputation May Become Lax and Do Not Pay Attention to the Details and Factors That Helped Create That Great Reputation
I owned a 4 runner about 20 years ago and I owned two Toyota Camrys and a Toyota Corolla about 15 years ago. I bought those vehicles, in large part, because of Toyota’s great reputation for quality products. Would I buy a Toyota now? No. It will take many years of Toyota proving itself again before I would consider purchasing one of its products.
Short Cuts to Reviving a Reputation?
Unfortunately, many companies take the shortcut and hire a very good public relations person to help create a new image that will help “correct the problem” by changing the public’s perception of the company. Some become involved in charitable causes to win back customers’ good opinions. Some invest in advertising to make them look good. I recently saw a TV ad on Toyota that showed Toyota employees working to correct the recent problems.
True Worth and Valid Reputation Do Not Come From Perception But From Real Values That Are Honored and Supported by the Way a Company Does it’s Business – Always Staying True to its Core Values.
Core Values Emphasizing Quality Products and Services and Excellent Customer Service Can Go a Long Way to Building That Great Reputation and Keeping It
Here are some ways to make that happen:
Employees should be provided the tools to make this happen and then be awarded for their positive efforts to ensure the quality products and services and the excellent customer service.
Employee performance standards should be developed that support quality products and services and excellent customer service.
Managers and Employees who do not ensure the quality products and services and excellent customer service should be held accountable for their shortcomings.
Companies should listen to their customers – especially their complaints. A complaint is frequently like the canary in the mine – it is a warning of impending problems – maybe even disasterous ones.
There must be accountability at every level in the organization and communication that ensures everyone is aware of all important situations.
Frequently, companies have had ample warnings and complaints about problems. Wise companies take these seriously and deal with them quickly and proactively to ensure real problems are addressed and solved in a timely manner. Wise companies that realize the value of that great reputation protect it and do not allow themselves to become lax about core values.
Copyright (c) 2010 Lois Moncrief Globebic LLC All Rights Reserved
For information on employee management, employee performance, and employee motivation, visit my website:
You kind of get the feeling that this guy is going to do something crazy. Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota has dishonored himself, his company, and his family. It’s jacked up that the Toyota organization would dance around the defects with their vehicles. People have died behind their deception. The most reliable vehicle brand killed themselves. Read more from THE TRUE SOURCE.
この流れを読むと、次はホンダが危ないが、米国ホンダのブレーキは「エフテック」という日本企業が、オハイオやトロントで生産しているので、難癖つけることは難しいでしょう。今回の米国議会の公聴会で、問題になっている部品が米国企業の生産にも拘わらず、議員からの「Made in Japanは幻想」との文言に笑ってしまいました。
It is no secret that every person, team, organization or company will face a crisis at some point. How they respond to that crisis is critically important as it sets the stage for how effectively they manage through the process of recovery.
Every week we see people and organizations struggle or shine in the wake of crisis and scandal. For those that shine, the issues tend to subside more quickly, in large part because they have handled the adversity in the best manner possible. That usually involves a sound and strategic communications strategy. For those that struggle, the negative effects of their actions hang over them like a very smoggy California day, nothing is clear.
If you’ve been following “The Sports Commentary” you are aware that managing our clients through crisis is just one of several of our firm’s core capabilities and one we take very seriously. And you don’t have to be a sports enthusiast to understand or relate to the topics we cover. Our objective is not to pass judgment on an individual’s or organization’s actions, but to provide insight as to how they can recover from catastrophe, rebuild their reputation, regain public trust, and achieve balanced media coverage in the process.
This week, Toyota and Sea World have found themselves under intense media and public (and in Toyota’s case, congressional) scrutiny, quickly going from the object of their consumers desire to the object of their ire.
Both Toyota and Sea World are in turmoil for different reasons, and both have a few common issues confronting them. The loss of life due to product failure in Toyota’s case and in Sea World’s, the very public death of an employee killed while on the job by one of the company’s killer whales. They have very different roads ahead of them in their quest to rebuild confidence in the hearts and minds of their constituents. What will be interesting to see is how they approach and handle the challenges ahead.
By now, we’re all familiar with Toyota’s situation. Their top execs flew in from Japan and were on Capitol Hill this week, their public relations campaign implemented to regain consumer confidence is underway, and their efforts across the board to restore faith in their brand are running full steam ahead. They are in the process of doing what’s necessary to rebuild.
But Sea World’s dilemma is quite different. Their story is dominating the news cycle right now and their response to the death of their top animal trainer, Dawn Brancheau, has quite frankly been vague and in words of CNN’s Rick Sanchez (when describing today’s press conference) “rather opaque.” Dawn was killed by one of Sea World’s killer whales, the largest and apparently most aggressive one, Tilikum, one that has allegedly killed two other trainers. This incident marks the third death.
In the hours immediately following Broncheau’s death, the story took on a life of its own. Media outlets covering the story began airing eye witness accounts, showing footage of the killer whales in action at Sea World, and booking guest panelists, including everyone from the world famous Jack Hanna (Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo), Bob Barker (yeah, that Bob Barker, WHO KNEW?!?), and Ingrid Newkirk (President of PETA) to everyday people off the street to comment and analyze the situation. Facebook and Twitter and other social media networks were abuzz with the story and everyone who had an opinion was weighing in.
Everyone was commenting, except for the key spokespersons from Sea World. Until today.
Initially, Sea World’s Curator, Chuck Tompkins was out there talking about it and to his credit he has done a decent job.
But his initial response seemed somewhat defensive and he wasn’t in a position where he could really answer specific questions regarding what Sea World was going to do, leaving plenty of room for speculation about what went wrong.
At their press conference today, Sea World’s PR person did a good job opening the press conference and framing the discussion and the rules of engagement. He then turned it over to Jim Atchison, President of Sea World Parks and Entertainment, who began to address the subject (well at least most of it) and deal with several hostile questions. After he expressed the company’s sincere grief and sadness over the loss of Brancheau, Atchison proceeded to outline what Sea World is doing to move through this and move forward.
Atchison opened and moved through the impact the loss of Brancheau has had on the Sea World family, the creation of the Dawn Brancheau Memorial Foundation, the family statement, their ongoing investigation of the situation, how they are reviewing the safety protocols in place, and that all direct trainer interactions with the killer whales have been suspended.
Atchison remained composed and poised, answered questions directly, didn’t duck and dodge, appeared honest, straightforward, prepared, and addressed the issues head on. He referred to the Sea World trainers and staff as “family” and said the trainers are dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Then the presser took a turn towards “the show must go on,” “business as usual” tone. Interestingly enough, the responses seemed non-emotional (if you will), very corporate, very “business as usual,” and somewhat combative when confronted with hostile questions, all in front of a backdrop of the park’s killer whales. Note: Not sure having the whales in the backdrop provided a show of support and Sea World unity, but not sure it was the best idea today given the situation.
When the tough questions came, Atchison started to become a bit agitated and unraveled slightly when asked about three of the most important questions every media person in the room needed to know:
The number of deaths associated with Tilikum.
Why he would not address the rules of trainer engagement with the killer whales.
Whether or not Brancheau made a fatal mistake when dealing with Tilikum.
Even his word choice was too corporate given this tragedy (e.g., “this altercation,” “this event,” “the outcome of this event,” “terrible incident,” etc).
But to his credit, he regained his composure after a somewhat heated exchange, but at this point the environment was quite contentious.
I am not making light of the situation and I have nothing but the utmost respect for Dawn Brancheau. But there are inherent risks with careers that could ultimately cost you your life. Whether you are a police officer, fire fighter, NASCAR driver, professional bull rider, stuntman, animal trainer, or extreme sport athlete like the Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died two weeks ago on the eve of this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver; you know the risks involved. But that is not an excuse for an organization, entity or public to “blame the victim.” Yes, there is without question the need to address the issues surrounding it (in this case, is it right or wrong to keep “killer” whales and other wild animals in captivity…).
Overall, the Sea World team did the right thing in addressing the tragedy today and facing the cameras and questions. Yes, the show must go on and business is business, but the big miss here was not taking a bigger step back and showing a bit more empathy towards the loss of life using a more sensitive approach.
In the days and weeks to come there will be a lot of pressure on Sea World to “do the right thing” in the wake of yet another tragic loss. But what is “the right thing” in this instance?
I understand fully that there are pros and cons to the argument of whether or not should animals be held in captivity for research, human enjoyment and let’s be honest, running profitable businesses. But ultimately, it’s a moot point. Why? Because every time these issues of animals in zoo-type environments (think Tiger escaping grotto at SF Zoo, Siegfried and Roy and the Tiger attack) or people keeping wild animals as pets surfaces (remember the Connecticut chimp that mauled its owner’s friend?), we’re going to have these philosophical conversations all over again.
Until then, the debate will continue. Your thoughts?
Rusty was NOT happy.
What do all of the above have in common? Their image or reputation was damaged. A reputation or image that has been damaged is very hard to repair and much harder to come back to the original status that may have been enjoyed earlier. Sometimes the damage is so great the company is destroyed or individuals go to jail.
I owned a 4 runner about 20 years ago and I owned two Toyota Camrys and a Toyota Corolla about 15 years ago. I bought those vehicles, in large part, because of Toyota’s great reputation for quality products. Would I buy a Toyota now? No. It will take many years of Toyota proving itself again before I would consider purchasing one of its products.
Core Values Emphasizing Quality Products and Services and Excellent Customer Service Can Go a Long Way to Building That Great Reputation and Keeping It
Frequently, companies have had ample warnings and complaints about problems. Wise companies take these seriously and deal with them quickly and proactively to ensure real problems are addressed and solved in a timely manner. Wise companies that realize the value of that great reputation protect it and do not allow themselves to become lax about core values.