When safety features like seat belts and abs were optional, most people didn't buy them. That may have been mentioned in Naders book or another I read.

Point being that the people asses their own risks and make their own decisions.

Taken to the extreme, why should any manufacturer be allowed to sell a car that can exceed 70 mph? Speed kills, why not limit everything to 25mph?

OTOH, I do think that Nader was right to point things out, let the people be informed. But when the government gets involved, things get extreme. As the knowledge got out about the benefits of seat belts, abs etc people will start to buy them.

Speaking about people not knowing how to drive, just the other day we had a family discussion about driving with abs. I was surprised that nobody was happy with the abs in their vehicle after a recent ice storm. Otoh it's not the first time they have ignored the mechanic in the family.

They were all driving with the old school idea of pump the brakes. Not how you do it with abs, which is stab and steer for the most part.