GM's Safety Overhaul: A Post-Ignition Crisis Commitment
General Motors has undergone a significant cultural shift, prioritizing safety extensively across its operations following the ignition switch crisis. The company now integrates advanced active safety features as standard in its vehicles, exemplified by models like the Chevrolet Trax and Bolt EV, aiming to make safer transportation accessible to all and reduce road fatalities.
Following a significant ignition switch recall crisis that marred the early tenure of CEO Mary Barra, General Motors has undergone a profound cultural transformation, placing an unwavering emphasis on safety. This pivotal moment, which resulted in 124 fatalities and 275 injuries, served as a catalyst for a company-wide shift, with safety now being the primary focus across all operations.
More than a decade after the crisis, the commitment to safety at GM has only intensified. Jeff Ronne, global director for GM's Global Safety Strategy, states that safety is unequivocally "the No. 1 thing talked about at all meetings and events." This dedication is integrated into daily operations, with meetings commencing with a safety message and participants often sharing emotional testimonials from customers whose lives were saved by their vehicles' safety features. Regina Carto, vice president of GM’s Global Product Safety, Systems and Certification, affirms that safety is deeply "ingrained in us," further solidified by an annual Global Safety Week dedicated to reinforcing this focus, encompassing workplace and personal well-being.
GM recently showcased its advanced safety features at the Milford Proving Ground in Michigan, demonstrating how these technologies are now standard equipment on many of its vehicles, including the most affordable models. This initiative is particularly crucial given that the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day constitutes the "100 deadliest automotive days" of the year. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports approximately 40,000 annual U.S. automotive fatalities, a majority occur in older vehicles. Therefore, making safe new vehicles affordable is paramount to encourage the replacement of less safe older models.
Modern GM vehicles exemplify this commitment to accessible safety. For instance, the entry-level 2026 Chevrolet Trax subcompact crossover, starting at $23,495, includes 12 standard safety features. The 2027 Chevrolet Bolt entry electric vehicle, priced from $28,995, boasts an impressive 20 standard safety features. These include sophisticated active safety items designed to intervene by steering, accelerating, or braking automatically to prevent collisions, such as automatic emergency braking, which is crucial in preventing rear-end collisions.
The evolution of automotive safety is remarkable, as highlighted by Bridget O’Brien, who joined GM in 1988 focusing on crash safety. She recalled working on the 1990 Chevrolet Suburban, which, despite being a top-end SUV of its time, featured only basic safety technologies like power steering, power brakes (front disc, rear drum with rear antilock), an energy-absorbing steering column, intermittent wipers, and power locks and windows. Airbags, a staple today, were absent. The array of cameras and active safety features common now were simply inconceivable when her career began.
Today, vehicles like the Trax and Bolt EV come equipped with an extensive list of standard active safety features. These include adaptive cruise control, front pedestrian braking, rear cross-traffic braking, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and forward collision alert. O'Brien expresses immense pride in these advancements and their availability across the entire model line. Jeff Ronne considers active safety and assistance systems—those that help drivers maintain lanes, detect objects, or apply emergency braking—to be the most significant leap forward in automotive safety, actively working to prevent crashes and protect occupants.