COVID Action for Consumers
What's at stake: In March, Congress passed legislation to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic—and more federal, state, and local initiatives to mitigate the damage are probably on the way. But we at CR believe it's vital that all efforts put people, not companies, first.
How CR has your back: CR began working with lawmakers well before the $2 trillion package was signed. Our goal of ensuring that all coronavirus-related legislation be guided by a core set of principles—fairness, safety, and transparency for consumers—is backed by the more than 76,000 people who signed a CR petition as of early April.
In a letter to congressional leaders, CR president Marta Tellado specifically called on Congress to protect consumers from deceptive products, scams, and abusive practices related to the pandemic; prevent surprise medical bills, including for COVID-19 treatment; provide people facing financial hardship temporary waivers for rent, mortgage, and other debt payments; prohibit utilities and internet providers from cutting off services or charging late fees during the crisis; and stop credit agencies from reporting negative data during the crisis.
The federal relief package fulfilled some, but by no means all, of CR's aims—so our advocates will continue pushing to focus government efforts on consumer hardships.
What you can do: Go to CR's Guide to COVID-19 to learn more about protecting your physical and financial health during the outbreak. And sign our Coronavirus Response petition, calling for protection for people suffering from financial hardship during this pandemic.
Safer Auto Safety Systems
What's at stake: Most new cars and trucks today come equipped with high-tech features that help avoid crashes. CR recommends that buyers seek key safety features, such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, when they shop.
But we have serious concerns about other features. Tesla's Autopilot, for example, can steer, brake, and adjust speeds in certain conditions but—despite what its name implies—requires drivers to stay engaged to safely operate the car. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that such systems need improvements to ensure that drivers pay attention.
How CR has your back: A fatal crash of a Tesla Model X in California two years ago proves the point. A February report from the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the car steered itself toward a highway exit ramp barrier, that the driver failed to react before the crash, and that the driver's phone was playing a video game at the time of impact.
The NTSB said in its report that Tesla has failed to address the balance between claimed autonomy and real capabilities and that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn't set standards that could prevent fatalities. So CR is calling for major improvements across the auto industry. "Manufacturers and NHTSA must make sure these driver assistance systems come with safety features that actually verify drivers are monitoring the road," says Ethan Douglas, CR senior policy analyst.
What you can do: Learn more about CR's push for better auto safety standards, at CR Issue: Car Safety & Efficiency.
Saying No to Toy Magnets
What's at stake: Small children put all sorts of foreign objects in their mouths and, unfortunately, often end up swallowing them. Most simply pass through their digestive tracts, causing little or no harm. But doctors warn of a dangerous exception: tiny, high-powered magnets.
If a child swallows more than one of these superstrong "rare earth" magnets—which are typically sold in sets and sometimes marketed as toys—the magnets can find each other inside the body and cause severe trauma. Emergency surgery may be needed to prevent holes in the intestine, infection, and other deadly problems. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported an estimated 2,900 emergency-room-treated cases, and one death, after ingestion of high-powered magnets from 2009 to 2013.
How CR has your back: CR and other safety groups successfully pushed to limit sales of the magnets in 2014. But a company challenged the standard in court and won; the restrictions were invalidated in November 2016. Since then, annual reports of ingestion have increased sixfold, says the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
That's why doctors and consumer advocates, including CR, are endorsing a bill in Congress to ban the magnets.
What you can do: Contact your lawmakers at congress.gov and ask them to co-sponsor the Magnet Injury Prevention Act.
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the June 2020 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.