Jimmy Carter’s impact on the world politically, philanthropically, and diplomatically is being widely recognized in the aftermath of the 39th president’s death on December 29th. Carter’s work with brokering peace deals, monitoring elections, helping cure Guinea-worm – and, oh yeah, being the only Georgian to ascend to the U.S. presidency – is rightfully lauded, and he had a lesser known impact on traffic safety, efficiency, and progress.
The Carter administration was a big champion of motor safety. In a January 1981 letter from the Oval Office to Congress, in the waning days of his presidency, Carter implored lawmakers to bolster safety standards.
“As America moves into the small car era, the consequences of ignoring the need for further safety improvements become unacceptable in both human and economic terms. Traffic safety must be given a high priority by Federal, State and municipal Governments, by the automotive industry, by private organizations, and most important of all, by the potential victims of highway accidents – the public,” Carter wrote.
He cited the sharp increase in vehicular traffic and the disproportionate number of deaths for occupants of smaller vehicles on the nation’s roads.
In that safety vein, Carter also continued the work of the Nixon administration in bolstering the enforcement of a national speed limit at 55 mph. The Carter White House hatched a plan in 1977 to implore states to better enforce that speed limit, which had been enacted to conserve energy. He and his staff hoped that there would be 85% compliance with that speed regulation by 1982. The plan would invoke penalties on states that did not go far enough in this enforcement.
By 1987, the national speed limit rose to 65, and then the speed-limit decision went back to the states in 1995.
Carter created the Department of Energy, which made for stricter fuel and emissions standards with vehicles. While that met some opposition, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards were as low as 18 mpg in 1978. Carter’s team instituted a plan to heighten that to 45 mpg in 1995. And while that ended up being more of a pipe dream, the pressure to have cleaner and more efficient vehicles helped move the needle.
In a move more antithetical to general Democratic politics, Carter instituted deregulation of the trucking industry with the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Basically, Carter helped remove federal barriers to entry and over motor carrier rates. By removing regulation, Carter wrote that he predicted costs to consumers would decrease by $8 billion. The trucking industry has generally praised that move.
And Carter tried to practice what he preached, in general. One of his drivers during his 1970s run as Georgia Governor shed more light on this character trait.
“The energy crisis had hit and he downsized from a Chevy Caprice to a Chevy Nova,” Myron Freeman told Channel 2 Action News.
Let’s just pause to reflect on a person in power – private or public sector – actually downsizing and doing with less, while asking others to do the same. Refreshing. Hopefully, that Nova got better than 18 mpg.
Then comes the most astounding part of Freeman’s remembrance of driving then-Governor Carter. When a car sped past them on I-75, Carter told Freeman, a Georgia State Trooper, to pull them over. “He said, ‘Pull him over. Pull him over.’ So we pulled him over. He jumped out, ran up, walked up to the car, and he chewed that guy out,” Freeman recalled. That speedster must have been gobsmacked to have seen the governor arrive to give them the business.
Imagine today getting pulled over by GSP, only to have Governor Brian Kemp approach the driver’s window.
From safety bolstering and energy conservation, to trucking deregulation and an appreciation for the speed limit, Jimmy Carter made an imprint on transportation both locally and nationally. Godspeed to a person who led their life with not just a strong faith, but with tireless action. And by godspeed, we presume that will be faster than 55.
Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years and written “Gridlock Guy” since 2017. Doug also co-hosts the “Five to Go Podcast,” a weekly deep dive on stories in motorsports. Contact him at fireballturnbull@gmail.com.
Credit: Andria Brooks
Credit: Andria Brooks
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