Unsafe at Any Speed

In 1965, Ralph Nader published Unsafe at Any Speed, arguing that car accidents were caused not just by human error — but by the design of the car itself.

Post-WWII automakers prioritized style and speed over safety. Nader's book sparked public outrage and helped drive the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, which created the first mandatory federal safety standards for cars and the agency that became NHTSA.

The lesson: Manufacturers won't make safer products until society demands them.

Discussion prompts

• What parallels do you see between Nader's critique of car design and the state of software security today?
• Who in your industry has the power to demand safer software — and are they using it?
• What would a "software safety" equivalent of NHTSA look like?