“Safety First” or “Business As Usual”?

Georgia congressman Mike Collins, a U.S. Senate candidate, has made it his mission to make America’s roads safer – at least when it comes to noncitizen commercial drivers. However, his stance on this issue is puzzling and somewhat disingenuous, given his own business’s safety record and his efforts to undermine measures that experts believe would reduce the odds of serious crashes.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ transportation committee and owner of a trucking business, Collins should be advocating for policies that promote public safety above all else. Yet ProPublica’s analysis of federal motor vehicle data reveals that his business has a higher rate of unsafe driving and speeding violations per mile than most similar companies in recent years.

Collins has opposed rules aimed at reducing these risks, including speed limiters and automatic emergency braking systems. Speed limiters have been shown to reduce crashes leading to serious injuries and deaths by as much as 63%, yet Collins questioned the need for such a rule, suggesting that insurance companies already serve as sufficient deterrents. This argument is flawed because it ignores the fact that these technologies are designed to supplement existing measures, not replace them.

Collins’ opposition to speed limiters and automatic emergency braking systems raises questions about his commitment to public safety. As a congressman, he has a responsibility to represent the interests of all citizens – not just those of his own business. By pushing back against policies endorsed by the industry’s largest trade group, American Trucking Associations, Collins is putting the interests of his family business above those of the public.

This isn’t the first time Collins has come under scrutiny for his stance on trucking safety. In 2023, he had the opportunity to support a measure that experts believed could make the roads safer – but he chose not to. Instead, he questioned the need for speed limiters and suggested that they would be too costly for his industry.

Collins’ business has been involved in numerous crashes over the years, resulting in five fatalities and over 50 injuries. While his family business has denied wrongdoing, it’s clear that their safety record is far from exemplary. Given this history, one would expect Collins to be a strong advocate for policies aimed at reducing risks on the road.

However, time and again, he has shown himself to be more interested in protecting the interests of his business than promoting public safety. This trend is troubling, especially given the influence he holds as a member of the transportation committee.

The implications of Collins’ actions are far-reaching and raise concerns about the influence of special interests in politics. As we continue to grapple with issues like immigration policy and public safety, it’s essential that our elected officials prioritize the needs of all citizens – not just those of a select few.

Collins’ willingness to prioritize his family business’s interests over those of the public raises serious questions about his commitment to public safety. His actions are a stark reminder of the influence special interests can wield in politics and a microcosm of the larger problems plaguing our democracy.

In the end, Collins’ efforts to undermine policies aimed at reducing risks on the road demonstrate the need for greater accountability and transparency from our elected officials. It’s time for us to demand more – more commitment to public safety, more responsibility to serve the public interest, and less influence of special interests in politics.