Ralph Nader is a more modern day muckraker. In 1965, Ralph Nader published a book on the general unsafety of cars of the daty and the reluctance of car manufacturers to spend money on the safety features. The book was broken down into 8 chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect or topic of car safety.
Many ideas were presented in the book. Some exmples were a chapter about the Chevrolet Corvair. The Corvair was prone to crashes due to a need to keep a certain tire pressure because of a rear engine suspension design. The need for a constant tire pressure was critical, and not explicitly clear to the consumors. This prompted Gm to try and silence Nader about the Corvair with a private investigation. Nader then successfully sued GM for harrassment and intimidation.
Another example was about the chrome and glossy enamels used on the dashboards of certain cars, which reflected sunlight into oncoming drivers eyes. Another significant chapter wasMany ideas were presented in the book. Some exmples were a chapter about the Chevrolet Corvair. The Corvair was prone to crashes due to a need to keep a certain tire pressure because of a rear engine suspension design. The need for a constant tire pressure was critical, and not explicitly clear to the consumors. This prompted Gm to try and silence Nader about the Corvair with a private investigation. Nader then successfully sued GM for harrassment and intimidation.
The Engineers, which focused on how engineers of cars were generally fearful of focusing on car safety features, thinking it would make cars too expensive and alienate buyers. At the time, styling changes averaged over $700 on average per car, while 23 cents was being spent on safety features.
Unsafe at Any Speed made Nader a household name and attracted a lot of attention, especially when Nader successfuly sued GM.
