DEDICATION BEYOND DESCRIPTION

Rough Notes, Jul 2005 by Levy, Emanuel

We can be proud of the insurance industry's record in creating a safer world

Not long after the 1965 publication of the book Unsafe At Any Speed, I had the opportunity to interview its author, Ralph Nader. Because the book was daring in its challenge to automobile manufacturers for totally ignoring safety in design and construction, it was widely hailed as a courageous exposition of an industry's disregard for the life and limb of American car owners, passengers and pedestrians. Nader became an immediate celebrity and was sought after as a speaker, including by independent insurance agents associations.

Evidently emboldened by the recognition of his ideas and his elevation to safety guru, Nader included in his platform presentations sharply critical remarks about what little had been accomplished prior to his arrival on the scene. The independent agents associations were a particular target for his denigration. Members of the insurance press, then a vibrant industry force, often wondered why the agents were willing to pay Nader to speak at their meetings and conventions, only to hear him vent his criticism of their public service for safety.

So, when I got the opportunity, at the annual meeting of the Independent Insurance Agents Association of Connecticut, for a one-on-one interview with Nader, I put the question to him. I described the long and dedicated efforts by independent agents and brokers to promote highway safety and to eliminate driving and road hazards and then asked him if he didn't think this effort had resulted in the saving of even one life. There was a slight pause, but the very dismissive response was: "I don't think so."

I did not believe the interview was going to be productive, and I decided, perhaps unfairly, that Mr. Nader had a narrow perspective that did not acknowledge the accomplishments of others. I am not disparaging what he did for auto safety during his career as a consumer advocate, or denying that his book ripped away the veil of disregard for safety by the manufacturers; but because of what he said and how he said it at that interview, it has always been my feeling that he wanted all the glory for himself.

In my long and pervasive connection with the insurance industry, I have been unequivocally impressed by its dedication to serving public interests beyond what it does for a living. I've often wondered whether the public at large is aware of the accomplishments in the saving of life, limb and property through monumental projects and a keen awareness of exposures. I've wondered also if the industry itself, and particularly brokers and agents, has been sufficiently zealous in getting the story to its customers and its circle of friends, or to the news media, when the opportunity has presented itself. The key words here are "sufficiently zealous."

Some years ago, the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) created a campaign to call attention to the public service aspect of the business, but it limited its audience to the editors of house publications of its member companies. The messages, which called attention to specific programs, each bore the headline "Be proud you work in the insurance industry." An I.I.I. spokesman told me that those messages, with approximately 500 words each, were used extensively by member companies, and that there was positive feedback. Industry achievements referred to included the battle launched in the 1960s by property and casualty insurers and their trade organizations to force the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to mandate the installation of both seat belts and air bags in newly manufactured cars. It took until 1983, and legal action that reached up to the U.S. Supreme Court-brought by several insurance companies led by State Farm Insurance Company-to wrest the DOT from its lethargy and force the manufacturers to act. Ultimately they were glad they did. As many people in the business are probably aware, the industry's emphasis on safety has never abated, and programs are ongoing to eliminate highway hazards such as excessive speed and impaired drivers.

The I.I.I series included essays on child restraint devices and the industry's research and championing of their use; its persistent efforts to reduce drunk driving following the lead of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving); its leadership in inducing the widespread use of seat belts; its success in reducing industrial accidents through innovative programs including the use of engineering specialists; the widespread use of smoke alarms through its offer of discounts for installation; the development of fireresistant, safer and stronger materials as well as devices and practices to reduce death and injury at the workplace; the fight to force reluctant motorcyclists to wear helmets; and, by no means least, the introduction of incentives to spread the concept of safety.

The I.I.I. messages emphasized that these industry actions were responsible for saving countless lives and reducing the extent of injuries. There is little question that these results were directly connected with the insurance industry's creative and continuing contributions. Regrettably, the public at large seems to have little real awareness of how the quality of life has been served by an industry that is often considered monolithic and distant. Those who work in the industry, primarily the producers who have direct relationships with the vast body of insureds, should look for opportunities to get the public service message across.