Washington

THE US car safety watchdog, long criticised as toothless and slow, is showing both bark and bite under its new boss - a testimony to his credentials as a safety expert and a hardening of the administration's policy after a wave of deadly defects.

Having taken the helm of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in January, Mark Rosekind has wasted no time in forcing reluctant companies into recalling millions of defective vehicles. In doing so, he has shown greater willingness than some of his predecessors to use the government's full legal powers over the industry, some for the first time.